Ambulatory Health Care Data
The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is designed to meet the need for objective, reliable information about the provision and use of ambulatory medical care services in the United States. Findings are based on a sample of visits to nonfederally employed office-based physicians who are primarily engaged in direct patient care and, starting in 2006, a separate sample of visits to community health centers.
The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) is designed to collect data on the utilization and provision of ambulatory care services in hospital emergency and outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery locations. Findings are based on a national sample of visits to the emergency departments, outpatient departments, and ambulatory surgery locations of noninstitutional general and short-stay hospitals.
The National Electronic Health Records Survey (NEHRS) is designed to collect information on office-based physicians’ adoption and use of electronic health record (EHR) systems, practice information, patient engagement, controlled substances prescribing practices, use of health information exchange (HIE), and documentation and burden associated with medical record systems. Findings are based on a sample of nonfederally employed office-based physicians in the U.S. who are primarily engaged in direct patient care.
The National Health Care Surveys (including NAMCS, NHAMCS, and NHCS) are working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs: Promoting Interoperability (PI) (formerly known as Meaningful Use (MU)) and the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Click here to find out more.
Data Products
- 2018 NHAMCS ED public use data file (11/2020)
- 2017 NHAMCS Emergency Department Summary Tables pdf icon[PDF – 804 KB] (1/2020)
- 2014 NAMCS Community Health Center public use data file (12/2019)
- 2014 NAMCS – Community Health Center Summary Tables pdf icon[PDF – 584 KB] (12/2019)
- 2017 NHAMCS Emergency Department Public Use Data File (11/2019)
- Diagnosis Master Category List, 2016 pdf icon[PDF – 444 KB] (7/2019)
Publications
- Opioid-involved Emergency Department Visits in the National Hospital Care Survey and the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey pdf icon[PDF – 402 KB] (12/2020)
- Urban-rural Differences in Visits to Office-based Physicians by Adults With Hypertension:United States, 2014–2016 pdf icon[PDF – 276 KB] (11/2020)
- Emergency Department Visits Among Adults Aged 60 and Over: United States, 2014–2017 (6/2020)
- Physician Office Visits at Which Benzodiazepines Were Prescribed: Findings From 2014–2016 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey pdf icon[PDF – 376 KB] (1/2020)
- Trends in Opioids Prescribed at Discharge From Emergency Departments Among Adults: United States, 2006–2017 pdf icon[PDF – 437 KB] (1/2020)
- Emergency Department Visits for Injuries Sustained During Sports and Recreational Activities by Patients Aged 5–24 Years, 2010–2016 pdf icon[PDF – 961 KB] (11/2019)
- National Hospital Care Survey Demonstration Projects: Stroke Inpatient Hospitalizations pdf icon[PDF – 919 KB] (11/2019)
- Characteristics of Asthma Visits to Physician Offices in the United States: 2012–2015 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey pdf icon[PDF – 877 KB] (9/2019)