What are ambulatory patient services?

• A. Inpatient hospitalization.
• B. Dental care only.
• C. Health services provided on an outpatient basis, without admission to a hospital.
• D. Long-term institutional care.

Answer: (C)

Ambulatory patient services are health care provided on an outpatient basis, meaning you come in for a visit or procedure and go home the same day without being admitted to a hospital. This includes visits to a doctor’s office, diagnostic tests, and procedures done at clinics or ambulatory surgery centers. The defining feature is no overnight hospital stay. Inpatient hospitalization involves staying in a hospital overnight, which is not ambulatory. Long-term institutional care refers to ongoing care in facilities like nursing homes, not outpatient services. So the correct description is health services provided on an outpatient basis, without admission to a hospital.