Outpatient facilities have been deployed more frequently than ever over the past 10 years. This rise can be attributed to government payment policies that support providing services in lower-cost settings. Such policies are forcing health care systems to focus on wellness to help align them with the government’s reimbursement cost structure.
That said, clinical innovation and patient preference is also tilting the balance in favor of outpatient settings for hospital services. These clinical innovations and technological advances are allowing many surgical procedures to be done in outpatient settings. Outpatient facilities provide many of the same services as hospitals but in smaller, more localized ways, allowing patients to receive specialized care in the convenience of their own neighborhoods.