title: The impact of ambulatory care centers on emergency medicine.
abstract: This article traces the origin and evolution of freestanding ambulatory care centers, and relates their development to corresponding changes in medicine in general and in emergency medicine in particular. The impact of these centers on the practice of emergency medicine is discussed. The future relationship of the physicians practicing in these centers to the specialty of emergency medicine and the changes that they will most probably foster in the medical care delivery system are examined.
mesh_terms: D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000639:trends; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000639:trends; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D011320:Primary Health Care; D014481:United States