NAMCS Health Center Component

Overview

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) collects data about medical services for patients who aren't admitted to a hospital or other facility. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) launched NAMCS in 1973. Since 1989, NCHS has conducted NAMCS annually.

NAMCS collects data from two different ambulatory medical care provider settings:

• Health centers, via the Health Center Component
• Office-based physicians and advanced practice providers, via the Provider Survey Component

Health centers that participate in NAMCS serve areas and groups with limited access to medical care.

Why participate

NAMCS fulfills an ongoing need for national statistics on ambulatory care. Participants contribute information that increases our accurate understanding of—

• Provider and health center characteristics
• Telemedicine options
• Use of electronic health records
• Healthcare delivery

Healthcare policy makers and public health professionals can use these NAMCS statistics to make health care more accessible and equitable.

For more information, visit Why Participate in the NAMCS Health Center Component.

Who can participate

The NAMCS Health Center Component collects data from health centers invited to participate that receive federal funds and centers that do not. Participating health centers must use an electronic health record system.

The NAMCS Health Center Component collects data from health centers that provide medical care to the public and use an electronic health record (EHR) system.

Eligibility

Eligible health centers include—

• Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) that are section 330-funded
• FQHC Look-alikes (FQHC–LALs) that are not federally funded

Currently, Indian Health Service Centers are not eligible to participate in the NAMCS Health Center Component.

Invited participants

Together, those invited to participate in NAMCS are a scientifically selected, nationally representative sample reflecting the size, location, services offered, and communities served by all U.S. health centers.

Selected health centers receive an invitation to participate from the director of the National Center for Health Statistics.

Participation is always voluntary, and health centers can stop participating at any time.

How data are collected

Health centers provide NAMCS with two types of data:

• Patient data via transfer of electronic health records
• Facility characteristics, like center type and total number of visits, via interview

Booz Allen Hamilton collects health center data for NAMCS on behalf of NCHS.

How findings are used

NAMCS data offer insights into how ambulatory care is provided and used in the United States. Health services researchers and policy makers use NAMCS statistics to understand the changing landscape of ambulatory health care in the United States.

These statistics can be used to:

• Improve professional education curricula for healthcare workers
• Formulate health policy
• Inform medical practice management

Research ethics

Under the 2018 requirements of the Common Rule ((45 CFR 46.102(l)(2)), the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey is designated as a public health surveillance activity, rather than a research project. Institutional Review Boards do not need to review or approve public health surveillance activities.

The National Center for Health Statistics Ethics Review Board (ERB) has reviewed and approved NAMCS. You can review the NAMCS ERB approval letter and share it with your Institutional Review Board to verify that the letter meets the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule. We also can send you a copy of the materials submitted to the ERB.