All You Need to Know about Medical Supplies

Today new technology and advances in medical research have completely redefined the reach and scope of healthcare. You no longer have to spend days or months in the hospital like you did a few decades back. Surgical procedures have become so simple and technology-driven, that you go back home within hours after surgery. These new innovations have forced the healthcare industry to adapt itself and provide services that are out of the box and differ largely from the care that has been looked up as the norm. Now a patient need not visit hospitals for every simple complaint or ailment. The type of condition you are dealing with helps you to decide where you are treated, rather than going to a hospital every time. There are 5 broad categories of medical centers that offer immediate and effective assistance to a patient who requires care and attention.

• Hospitals
  They are the first stop for anyone who needs healthcare. Open all the time these hospitals have a skilled team of doctors, nurses, and paramedics, latest equipment and technology for emergent situations as well as patients with chronic ailments.
• Doctor’s Office
  A medical facility where there are just one or more doctors who take care of patients. Doctors who work there are mostly general practitioners who provide routine care and treatment. They are neither equipped nor prepared for complicated procedures and will refer you to a hospital after first aid and basic intervention. You can find basic medical supplies from the doctor’s office.
• Ambulatory Surgical Center
  Procedures which are outside the scope of a doctor’s office at the same time do not need advanced facilities like a surgical theater or equipment can be catered to here. They are equipped to attend to simple surgical procedures that require minimal post-operative care. They are much cheaper than hospitals.
• Urgent Care Clinic
  Not as sophisticated as an Ambulatory Surgical clinic or a hospital, you can go to them for minor issues like a stomach virus or a sprain. If you are faced with emergent issues like chest pain or high fever it is better to visit a hospital. These clinics also offer cheap medical supplies depending on your condition and requirement.
• Nursing Home
  Nursing homes are ideal places for patients who need round the clock care with special types of equipment. They have a full-fledged medical team which provides medical assistance as well as bathing and feeding the patients.

Ambulatory Care centers also called outpatient care centers are a new trend in the healthcare industry with the changing dynamics in providing affordable healthcare to all. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) provide cheap and effective surgical facilities for those procedures which do not need hospitalization. ASCs can provide services wherever the procedure is simple, minimally invasive and does not require admission or recovery in the hospital for extended periods of time. They have fully equipped modern surgical rooms. Patient recovery is monitored constantly by trained nurses. ASCs can be specialized centers or offer their services in many specialties. New technologies have given rise to same-day surgeries – for example, laparoscopy, a colonoscopy or dental procedures. In many of these cases, the patient is allowed to go home the same day if there are no side effects and they are able to manage on their own once the anesthesia wears off. Almost all of the standalone ASCs are connected to local hospitals. If a patient shows signs of complications after a surgery, they will be transferred to the hospital. If the patient has a history of reaction to anesthesia in the past, ASCs do not perform the surgery and refers them to a hospital. Wherever the patients are considered high risk and identified that they would need more or advanced care, they are transferred there and treated as inpatients.

By law, all ASCs have to be equipped with at least one surgical room to provide quality and effective care. ASCs have become essential healthcare providers for small communities with local doctors managing them. ASCs are regulated – they need to be approved by the federal government. Their services are covered by Medicare and private insurance policies. ASCs treat only those patients who have already seen a health care provider and for whom surgery has been advised. It is estimated that 30% of all ophthalmological, 15% of orthopedics and 14% of Gastroenterology surgeries of 2017 were done in ASCs. They have become the go-to place for pain management, spinal injections, and plastic surgery. These places also offer cheap medical supplies. There are certain drug stores that also provide cheap medical supplies that suit your requirement.

ASCs or Outpatient care centers are today less expensive and effective centers that are changing the face of the healthcare industry.