Health

Achieving the potential of outpatient care in the US

February 09, 2023

Global

Achieving the potential of outpatient care in the US

February 09, 2023

Global
Alicia White

Senior associate

Alicia White is a senior associate with Economist Impact’s Health Policy practice. Alicia leads research programs for foundations, governmental organisations, non-profits and industry organisations across a range of projects. She specialises in evidence-based healthcare analysis, and applies these techniques to inform a wide range of projects addressing healthcare misinformation, policy comparison indices, and economic models. Alicia has worked with organisations such as the UK’s National Health Service, the END Fund, the Wellcome Trust and the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research across a wide range of topics, including neglected tropical diseases, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines, screening and diagnostics, as well as non-communicable diseases. She holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Sheffield in the field of genetics.

Outpatient care and facilities are expanding in the US as more care shifts from hospital-based and inpatient settings.

This shift has been enabled by advances in technology, surgical techniques, and innovation in healthcare delivery methods, and have been further driven by factors like lower cost of care and reduced resource utilization in outpatient versus inpatient settings. However, equitable access to outpatient services remains an issue.

The article is part of a series on improving decision-making across different settings and contexts. It explores opportunities to leverage innovations and technologies to achieve the full potential of outpatient care in the US, including: 

  • Using telemedicine to improve access to outpatient care services for rural populations to increase the efficiency and convenience of care, and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions.

  • Investing in specially equipped vehicles that can be used as mobile health clinics to provide access to a range of outpatient services in under-served areas.

  • Leveraging point-of-care-testing that could facilitate essential investigations to be brought out of the laboratory and nearer to the patient, producing rapid test results and facilitating timely diagnosis and treatment in the same setting.

  • Utilizing minimally invasive surgical techniques and ambulatory surgical centers to allow an increasing range of procedures to be performed in an outpatient setting, alleviating pressure on hospitals. 

  • Facilitating data sharing between patients, providers, and payers using standardized electronic health records (EHRs) which could strengthen the impact of these new technologies and innovations and streamline care pathways.

Article:

Infographic:

Enjoy in-depth insights and expert analysis - subscribe to our Perspectives newsletter, delivered every week