National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey Series

collection: series

Investigator(s): National Center for Health Statistics

Studies

17

Variables

5,005

Publications

154

About this Collection

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) was inaugurated in 1992 to fill a gap in data about ambulatory medical care in the United States. Although the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) collects annual data on patient visits to physician offices, it excludes the hospital emergency room and outpatient department visits that make up a large part of the total ambulatory care received each year. The NHAMCS series provides data from samples of patient records selected from emergency departments and outpatient departments of a national sample of hospitals. Beginning with the 2009 data release, the NHAMCS will contain data from hospital-based ambulatory surgery centers; additionally, the NHAMCS will collect data from freestanding ambulatory surgery centers starting with the 2010 data release. These additions incorporate the design of the National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS). The primary function of the NSAS, which was discontinued in 2006, was to collect data on surgical care in ambulatory surgery centers. The resulting national estimates describe the use of hospital ambulatory medical care services in the United States.

Studies

17 results

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2003

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) provides data from samples of patient records selected from emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient departments (OPDs) of a national sample of hospitals. The resulting national estimates describe the use of hospital ambulatory medical care services in the United States. For the 2003 survey, data were collected from 236 OPDs and 475 EDs. Among the variables included are age, race, and sex of the patient, reason for the visit, physician's diagnoses, cause of injury (EDs only), surgical procedures (OPDs only), medication therapy, and expected source of payment. For 2003, additional updates and revisions have been made to the drug characteristics data. The variables CSTRATM and CPSUM have been added to assist in the computation of variances.

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2008

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NHAMCS) provide data from samples of patient records selected from emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient departments (OPDs) of a national sample of hospitals. The resulting national estimates describe the use of hospital ambulatory medical care services in the United States. For the 2008 survey, data were colected from 209 OPDs and 431 EDs. Among the variables included are age, race, and sex of the patient, reason for the visit physician's diagnoses, cause of injury, surgical procedures (OPD's only), medication therapy, and expected source of payment. The 2008 survey remains unchanged from the previous year.

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2007

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) provides data from samples of patient records selected from emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient departments (OPDs) of a national sample of hospitals. The resulting national estimates describe the use of hospital ambulatory medical care services in the United States. For the 2007 survey, data were collected from 202 OPDs and 432 EDs. Among the variables included are age, race, and sex of the patient, reason for the visit, physician's diagnoses, cause of injury, surgical procedures (OPDs only), medication therapy, and expected source of payment. For 2007, additional updates and revisions have been made to both the emergency department and outpatient department data, including modifications to pre-existing variables pertaining but not limited to electronic medical records.
Back to top