Outpatient Services

Types of Outpatient Services

More and more medical procedures are being offered in qualified outpatient service centers. A recent study indicated that almost 88 million people a year in the United States alone sought care in outpatient facilities.¹

Outpatient services are offered in many settings. For instance, medical schools often provide various types of outpatient services, such as pain clinics or rehabilitation centers. Other types of outpatient facilities include:

• Medical group practices.
• Outpatient clinics at hospitals or other medical facilities.
• Surgery centers.
• Imaging centers.
• Cardiac catheterization centers.
• Mental or behavioral health centers, which may provide substance abuse treatment services and mental health services for adults or adolescents.
• Laboratory centers.
• Gastrointestinal centers, which may provide screening or other services such as colonoscopy and endoscopy.
• Durable medical equipment rental facilities.
• Physical therapy centers.
• Chemotherapy and radiation therapy centers.

Many outpatient service centers specialize in a specific area of medicine, such as orthopedics (bones) or cardiology (heart). These centers, like many hospitals, have advanced equipment and highly trained staff.

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Author:	Caroline Rea, RN, BS, MS	Last Updated: April 17, 2008
Medical Review:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Brent Shoji, MD - General Surgery
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