Ambulatoria

Ambulatoria is a term used in healthcare to describe services provided on an outpatient basis, without an overnight hospital stay. In English, the corresponding terms are ambulatory or outpatient care. Ambulatory care covers a wide range of activities, from routine consultations to diagnostic testing and treatment, and is designed for conditions that do not require admission for inpatient care.

Services are delivered in clinics, private practices, or hospital outpatient departments, and may be organized as ambulatory care centers or day surgery facilities. Common examples include primary care consultations, diagnostic imaging and laboratory tests, preventive services, minor procedures, endoscopic or endovascular interventions, and various forms of same-day surgery followed by discharge. Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and some cancer treatments are also provided on an outpatient basis when hospitalization is unnecessary.

Ambulatory care has expanded with advances in anesthesia, minimally invasive techniques, and integrated care models. It aims to improve accessibility, reduce costs, and optimize hospital capacity, though it requires appropriate patient selection, reliable post-visit follow-up, and safe home or community support. In many healthcare systems, ambulatory services account for a large share of care and increasingly incorporate telemedicine and digital health tools.