Article

Why Outpatient Visits Are More Beneficial Than Hospital Stays

Topic: Health Products and ServicesPublished July 1, 2013
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Thanks to technology, patients no longer have to go to be admitted for days in a hospital setting awaiting and recuperating from spine surgery. We now have same day back surgery and this is all thanks to outpatient centers. The surgeries are minimally invasive which means that the patient will not have to undergo major blood loss and the good thing is that recovery is much faster and better since you get to recover from home. Back/spinal surgery in ambulatory centers costs just a fraction of what you would expect to pay in hospitals. In a nutshell you get better health care with cost savings. For the longest time, people associated inpatient care as the most beneficial since you are under the watchful eye of medical professionals. This notion is however being refuted even by medical professionals and there is a raging debate as to what form of care is better between inpatient and outpatient especially in regards to back/spinal surgery. Though not many medical practitioners will let you know this, you can get better medical attention outside a hospital setting. Back/spinal surgeries in an outpatient setting are increasingly becoming more and more popular. For many, this is because it comes with great savings. The National Center for Biotechnology Information published results of a study which showed that only 1% of the patients who underwent spine surgery inambulatory centers developed postoperative infections while 2.8% of inpatients developed infections. As you can see, there is more to outpatient care than simply saving on costs. Advantages of Outpatient Back/Spinal Surgery 1. Lower Infection RaternYou are more likely to get an infection as an inpatient. Statistics show that one in every 10 patients admitted in hospitals tends to develop infections. Though the exact figure varies between types of patients, most infections occur in the ICU. Your chances of getting an infection after back surgery in an ambulatory center are lowered since these infections are largely as a result of high-risk patients being moved from one ward to another. 2. Personalized carernHospitals are known to overwork their staff and most have to juggle in between various patients. While this is unavoidable, it also decreases the amount of personal care a patient receives. In other health care settings, patients’ develop a rapport with their caregivers making them a better health care environment. Many of these health care settings are all about executive treatment and that means getting extra care and attention. If for example your condition calls back surgery, you can rest assured that you will not have to wait for days before your surgery can be scheduled because emphasis is given the patient immediate care. Ambulatory centers are also known for being more comfortable than hospitals. 3. Better TechnologyrnThe reason why spinal surgery in ambulatory centers is one the rise could also be credited to advanced surgical technology. Spine surgery is now minimally invasive and with such low infection rates in these medical settings, people are finding them more suitable treatment centers. You get great postoperative pain management enabling you to return home the same day. Patients basically wake up at home and with minimal side effects. Inpatient settings are not all they are wrapped up to be and its time that you consider other more effective alternatives to hospitals.

Article author

About the Author

Mary Barker is a research writer and a contributor with Same Day Spine Institute. She is a keen advocate for outpatient centers as opposed to hospital inpatient settings and considers home care as the future of health care.

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