When we attend clinic appointments as part of our health care journey, or attend a loved one’s appointment as part of theirs, we are all participants in ambulatory care. Ambulatory care involves the expertise of thousands of health care professionals who collaborate to provide care to patients on a same day basis. Patients may have tests for screening, diagnosis or to monitor response to treatment, to attend appointments for follow up after hospitalization, to receive additional treatment, to undergo less complex procedures provided in a clinic or to attend rehabilitation sessions. In the outpatient setting, individuals are often seen for a series of intermittent visits that relate to chronic conditions. These visits range from a period of days, to years…
