ABSTRACT
Table 9.1 shows the four major categories of ambulatory services, along with several examples of each category. The majority of outpatient services involve medical, nonsurgical services, which includes both general and more specialized medical treatment. The physical location of general medical treatment is often the ER of the hospital. ERs see patients who are categorized as needing one of three categories of care, the first of which is emergency care. This represents a serious and often life-threatening situation requiring immediate attention. Examples include accident victims, patients with serious chest or abdominal pain, as well as victims of drug overdose.
