While the hospital is the centerpiece of the health care system, so much health care is delivered outside this setting. As the first text of its kind, Outside the Hospital introduces the reader to many types of healthcare services offered outside the traditional hospital setting. \\Divided into four parts (traditional care, diagnosing, acute-care treatment, and chronic care), the book offers 31 concise chapters that explore the basic operations of various health care settings such as physician offices, pharmacies, outpatient laboratories, chiropractic centers, dentistry, optometry, oncology centers, adult day care, hospice care, and more.\\This text is an ideal introduction to the health care workplace for aspiring health professionals. It is also an excellent reference for the practicing health professional.

Part 1 - TRADITIONAL CARE - Hospitals and Healthcare in the U.S. -- Chapter 1 - Hospitals and Spiraling Healthcare Costs -- Types of hospitals and community hospital statistics -- Why outpatient procedures are growing -- Chapter 2 - Physician Offices - Both a Primary Care Provider & The Principle Gatekeeper for Other Types of Healthcare -- What is a primary care provider and are there different types? -- What are the similarities and the differences in an M.D. and a D.O.? -- How does a physician's office usually function? -- Before the appointment -- Choosing the physician -- Making the appointment -- During the appointment -- The front office -- The back office -- After the appointment -- The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) -- Chapter 3 - Urgent Care Centers - "The Doc in the Box" -- History -- Build Them and They Will Come -- Scope of Urgent Care -- Minor injuries, illnesses, routine care, and diagnostics -- Convenience and location -- Who pays? -- Customer service, customer satisfaction -- Hours of operation and staffing -- Convenience clinics - a new breed -- The future of urgent care clinics -- Chapter 4 - The Virtual Doctor Office -- Advantages -- Disadvantages -- PART 2 - DIAGNOSING - New Methods and Facilities -- Chapter 5 - Pharmacies and Home Testing Devices -- Your friendly neighborhood pharmacist -- Over the counter home diagnostic test kits -- Advantages and disadvantages of these kits -- Types of available test kits -- Chapter 6 - Outpatient Laboratories -- Services offered by these labs -- Direct access testing (DAT) -- Walk in labs -- Mail order test kits -- Blood donation centers as a way of obtaining a test -- Home test kits -- Chapter 7 - Outpatient Imaging Centers -- Services -- Mammography -- Ultrasound -- Bone densitometry -- Computerized Tomography (CT scan) -- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) -- Fluoroscopy -- X-ray -- Virtual colonoscopy -- Nuclear medicine -- PET Imaging -- Angiography/Interventional radiology -- EEG -- EMG -- PART 3 - ACUTE-CARE TREATMENT OPTIONS (presented alphabetically) -- Chapter 8 - The Allergy Clinic -- The allergist/immunologist -- Symptoms of allergies -- Diagnosing allergies -- Common allergies -- Treatments - immunotherapy -- Chapter 9 - Care from Chiropractors and Podiatrists -- Chiropractors -- Health problems treated through chiropractic care -- Injury problems treated through chiropractic care -- At the office -- Treatment plans -- Podiatrists -- The Podiatry physician -- Reasons for podiatry care -- Chapter 10 - Dentistry -- General dentistry -- The dentist's role -- The dental hygienist -- The dental assistant -- The dental lab technician -- Dental specialists -- Pediatric dentistry -- Orthodontist -- Periodontist -- Endodontist -- Oral and maxillofacial surgeon -- Cosmetic dentistry -- Prosthodontist -- Chapter 11 - Dermatology -- Dermatologists -- Common skin diseases -- Industrial dermatology -- Cosmetic dermatology -- Chapter 12 - Hearing and Speaking - Audiology and Speech Pathology -- Audiology and audiologists -- Speech pathology -- Chapter 13 - IVF as a Form of ART -- Definition and history -- The usual procedure -- Cost of the procedure -- Other ART forms -- Risks and advantages -- Bioethics -- Chapter 14 - Optometry, Dispensing Optometrists and Ophthalmologyàor, "The Eyes Have It" -- Optometrists -- Dispensing Opticians -- Ophthalmologists -- Chapter 15 - Outpatient Surgery Centers -- What is an outpatient surgery center? -- Typical procedures performed in an outpatient surgery center -- Outpatient surgical center staff -- Anesthesiologist -- Physician performing the procedure -- Registered nurses -- Surgical and radiology technicians -- The elective outpatient surgical procedure - a colonoscopy as an example -- Chapter 16 - Pain Management -- Know your pain -- Common ways of treating pain -- Coping methods and psychologists -- Physical medicine, exercise, and physiatrists -- TENS and electro-thermal therapy -- Drugs and anesthesiologists -- Surgery and surgeons -- Alternative medicine and pain management -- Pain management at the end of life -- Chapter 17 - "Let's get physical" - Rehab., P.T., O.T., Sports Medicine, R.T., Cardiac Rehab., and Work Hardening - Whew! -- Rehabilitation medicine -- Physical therapy (P.T.) -- Occupational therapy (O.T.) -- Sports Medicine -- Recreational therapy -- Cardiac rehabilitation -- Work hardening -- Chapter 18 - Psychology, Psychiatry & Alternative Forms of Psychotherapy -- Psychology -- Psychiatry -- Psychotherapy - A few examples -- Psychoanalysis -- Art therapy or creative art therapy -- Behavior therapy -- Chapter 19 - Protecting the Public's Health - Efforts at Many Levels -- Introduction -- Public health, occupational health, and environmental health -- Public health clinics -- Chapter summary -- Review questions -- Chapter 20 - Sleep Disorders -- Common sleep disorders -- Insomnia -- Transient insomnia -- Short-term insomnia -- Chronic insomnia -- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) -- Narcolepsy -- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) -- Diagnosing and treating sleep disorders -- Chapter 21 - Travel Medicine -- Travel intelligence and advice -- Inoculations and vaccines -- Recommended equipment, supplies, and products -- Post travel medical care -- Responsible travel -- Chapter 22 - Weight Loss -- Treatment options -- Self help materials -- Home exercise equipment -- Meal substitute drinks -- Weight-loss medications -- Commercial, non-medical, weight loss programs -- Fitness centers and gymnasiums -- Medical weight loss centers -- Weight loss surgery -- Chapter 23 - Wellness Clinics -- Clinic options -- PART 4 - CHRONIC CARE -- Chapter 24 - Dialysis -- Kidney transplants and bioethics -- Peritoneal dialysis -- Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) -- Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD) -- Hemodialysis -- Peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis? -- Chapter 25 - Home Health Care -- Evolution of home health care -- The many facets of home health care -- Home health care agencies -- Medicare guidelines for finding a home health care agency -- Home health care providers -- Nurses -- Physical therapists -- Occupational therapists -- Speech therapists -- Social workers -- Methods of payment -- Chapter 26 - HIV and AIDS Clinics -- Services offered -- Chapter 27 - Oncology Centers -- A war on cancer? -- Chemotherapy -- Bone marrow and stem cell transplants -- Radiation -- Surgery -- Psychological and other care for patients with cancer -- Chapter 28 - Long-Term Acute Care -- History of LTAC's -- Patient profile -- Services provided -- Chapter 29 - Adult Day Care -- Types of adult day care centers -- Client profile -- Services that are usually provided -- Activities offered -- Hours of operation -- Cost of attending -- Available 3rd party payors -- What are the rights of a client? -- Who could be expected to regulate these clinics? -- Chapter 30 - Geriatric Assessment Clinics and Rheumatology -- Introduction -- The assessment team -- Community services for geriatric patients -- Rheumatology and rheumatologists -- Arthritis and other related rheumatic conditions -- Arthritis -- Fibromyalgia -- Gout -- Lupus -- Chapter summary -- Review questions -- Chapter 31 - Long-term Care -- A stepping stone process -- The independent retirement village -- Toward intermediate care or assisted living -- Full care -- Trends in long-term care -- Chapter 32 - Hospice and Palliative Care -- The hospice team -- Is it appropriate for everyone? -- Choosing a hospice center or your home -- Palliative care