National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey Methods (NAMCS): What Clinicians Need to Know (Web-based)

Course Number: WB2053

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) produces statistics that are representative of the experiences of the U.S. population at visits to office based physicians and providers at community health centers (CHCs). The survey provides information on office visits in terms of patient characteristics, physician practice characteristics, and visit characteristics. The data provide insight into ambulatory medical care and stimulate further research on the use, organization, and delivery of ambulatory care. Responses provided by physicians and other providers are essential however, participation in NAMCS is strictly voluntary.

It is important for physicians and midlevel providers to understand the scope of NAMCS, its methodology, and the many facets of data collection. A better understanding of the NAMCS is important to improving physician/provider response rates, which ensures that the findings represent the national description of office-based and CHC ambulatory patient care. This educational module will be web-based presentation of key concepts, interspaced with quiz questions to reinforce learning. A brief overview of the induction and abstraction process will be included followed by a practice patient record abstraction.

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TARGET AUDIENCE: All licensed physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals working in ambulatory care settings.

MATERIALS: Personal Computer with Internet Connection