National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is a national survey that provides information about the delivery and use of ambulatory medical care services provided by nonfederal, office-based physicians in the United States. The NAMCS captures information about patient demographics, sources of payment, the reason for visit, and diagnosis and drug information. Epidemiologists, physician associations, and policymakers frequently use the gathered data to identify patterns of care in the United States, discover emerging trends and issues, or support and inform decision making.

Since 1989, the NAMCS has been conducted annually; prior to that, it was conducted annually from 1973 to 1981 and also in 1985. Each year approximately 3,000 physicians are randomly selected to provide information on approximately 30 patient visits seen at their practice over ...