The ambulatory care parameter: a structured approach to quality assurance in the ambulatory care setting

Assessing the quality of ambulatory care is difficult because practitioners see patients for only a short time and because the goals of care are not always clearly defined. The ambulatory care department of Methodist Hospital of Indiana, Inc, has developed a system, called ambulatory care parameters, that helps ambulatory health care professionals sort through the complexities of ambulatory care. The ten parameters provide a framework for evaluating the care provided.