The Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) is the national organization of departments of internal medicine at the US medical schools and numerous affiliated teaching hospitals as represented by chairs and appointed leaders. As the official sponsor of The American Journal of Medicine, the association invites authors to publish commentaries on issues concerning academic internal medicine. F...

PURPOSE This article discusses how to plan and implement an ambulatory care pharmacist service, how to integrate a hospital- or health-system-based service with the mission and operations of the institution, and how to help the institution meet its challenges related to quality improvement, continuity of care, and financial sustainability. SUMMARY The steps in implementing an ambulatory care ...

Uzbekistan inherited a hospital-based health system from the Soviet Union. We explore the health system-related challenges faced during the scale-up of ambulatory (outpatient) treatment for drug-susceptible and drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants of the TB services, the ministries of health and finance, ...

The need for care coordination and management of transitions between Patient-Centered Medical Home providers, outpatient and community settings, including the Accountable Care Organization is often overlooked, episodic, and accountability for coordinating care and managing transitions between providers and services is lacking. Recognizing the potential of the RN to contribute to enhanced qualit...

BACKGROUND The Council for Higher Education in Israel published an extensive report in 2007, calling for a significant increase of undergraduate medical education in Israel in ambulatory care settings. The objective of this article is to propose an action plan aimed at shifting undergraduate medical education in Israel towards ambulatory education. CONTEXT The main barriers to increasing ambu...

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the subsequent rate of hospital and outpatient clinic utilization in those who receive continuing care and have documented frequent usage over one year. Such knowledge may be helpful in identifying those who would benefit from preventive interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the subsequent rate of hospital and outpatient cli...

Ambulatory emergency care (AEC) is an essential component of any acute medical unit (AMU). This statement is predicated on the clinical and financial benefits it confers. In this article, the author outlines the implementation of the Ambulatory Care Unit at Derriford Hospital and the first 6 months of service provision. The initial data collated demonstrates the impact the service has had local...

OBJECTIVES To examine the association between provider continuity and future hospitalization in a Medicaid population, and to determine if this association is greater for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions. DESIGN Analysis of paid claims to the Delaware Medicaid program during a 2-year period (July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1995). Continuity with a single provider during year 1 of the study was ...