RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 National ambulatory emergency care survey: Current level of adoption and considerations for the future JF Clinical Medicine JO Clin Med FD Royal College of Physicians SP 555 OP 559 DO 10.7861/clinmedicine.10-6-555 VO 10 IS 6 A1 Lynn McCallum A1 Derek Bell A1 Ian Sturgess A1 Kate Lawrence YR 2010 UL http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/10/6/555.abstract AB Ambulatory emergency care (AEC), ie managing emergency patients without an overnight hospital stay, offers an alternative to routine hospital admission and improved patient experience. The Directory of ambulatory emergency care for adults identifies 49 clinical scenarios which present acutely but could potentially be managed in an ambulatory manner. The Society for Acute Medicine and the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement conducted a national survey of 131 UK acute hospitals to understand the current level of AEC provision. Seventy-nine per cent of respondents indicated their site provided some AEC, but the number of conditions covered was limited and AEC tended to be ad hoc and informal at most sites. Weekend access was limited. Only deep vein thrombosis ambulatory protocols were well-established (65%), with other conditions formally implemented as ambulatory pathways at 0–35% of responding sites. There is a significant opportunity for further expansion of AEC through increased awareness and support.