The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is a comprehensive and nationally representative survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. The survey aims to collect information about patients' visits to non-federally funded ambulatory care facilities, such as physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, and emergency departments.
NAMCS is designed to provide valuable insights into various aspects of ambulatory medical care, including the health conditions for which patients seek care, the services provided during these visits, and the characteristics of the healthcare providers. By collecting data from sampled visits, the survey captures important information about the use and quality of ambulatory care services across the country.
The survey uses a stratified multistage probability design to ensure a representative sample of visits. Healthcare providers completing the NAMCS forms provide detailed information about the patient's demographic characteristics, reason for the visit, diagnoses, treatments provided, medications prescribed, and various aspects of patient care, such as counseling and referrals.
The NAMCS data is widely utilized for monitoring and assessing trends in healthcare utilization, quality improvement initiatives, policy development, and health services research. Researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals rely on the NAMCS to understand patterns in ambulatory care, identify disparities in healthcare access and delivery, and make evidence-based decisions to improve the overall health of the population.
