New NCHS Data on Ambulatory Medical Care

The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is pleased to announce the upcoming release of two reports that highlight unique data resources regarding ambulatory medical care. 
NAMCS collects data about providers, patients, and care delivered from a nationally representative sample of visits to non-federal physicians in office-based practice (excluding radiologists, pathologists and anesthesiologists).  “Characteristics of office-based physicians and their practices: United States, 2003-04” is the first report from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) to feature the organizational characteristics of medical practice.  The report notes that in 2003 and 2004, 25.5 percent of office-based physicians did not accept new Medicaid patients and 13.9 percent did not accept new Medicare patients, similar to previous years rates.  Other practice and physician characteristics examined included practice size, number of managed care contracts, and average visit duration.  

As a supplement to the 2003 and 2004 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys (NHAMCS), hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms or outpatient clinics supervised by physicians were asked whether they had provided special training to identify, diagnose and treat smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism, tularemia, viral hemorrhagic fever, viral encephalitis, chemical exposure, and nuclear or radiological exposure.  “Training for Terrorism-Related Conditions in Hospitals: United States, 2003-2004” shows that U.S. hospitals are better prepared for bioterrorism but still have not fully trained clinical staff on what to do if hospitals are filled with victims of an attack.  Teaching hospitals were better trained than other hospitals for bioterrorism.  Accredited hospitals had prepared more of their physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and lab staff for such emergencies. Both reports will be available this month at:  http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/ahcd/whatsnew.htm.

To use the data highlighted in these reports, contact the NCHS Research Data Center www.cdc.gov/nchs/r&d/rdc.htm

 
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