OHDSI Home | Forums | Wiki | Github

Visit types - how to map a day hospital infusion treatment?

Vocabulary Users
#1

Hello everyone,

I have a question regarding visit types.
When mapping our visit types (Visit_occurence table → visit_concept_id) and looking at the standard concepts, it was surprising to find 263 distinct concepts.

We could not decide what to map to our code, which somewhat translates to “treatment course”. It means that a patient comes in every day for several days, and gets the same treatment, usually an infusion treatment for cancer - but they go home for the night.
We did not want to simply map it to “Outpatient visit” because it means somewhat more.
Should we map it to “Outpatient Hospital” or “Ambulatory Clinic / Center”? Both are standard concepts, but I truly do not understand what is the difference between them.

Or is there maybe a list of these concepts with definitions?
Does it even matter what we map it to, or should we just go with “Outpatient visit”? :smiley:

Thank you,
Agota

#2

@Agota_Meszaros , thank you for your question regarding mapping visit types.
I understand your concern about the number of distinct concepts and the challenge of selecting the most appropriate one for your specific scenario. Allow me to provide some clarification on the differences between “Outpatient Hospital” in the CMS Place of Service vocabulary and “Ambulatory Clinic / Center” in the NUCC vocabulary, along with their definitions:

  1. Outpatient Hospital (CMS Place of Service Vocabulary):
    • This concept represents healthcare services provided within a hospital setting to patients who do not require inpatient admission.
    • Outpatient hospital services may include outpatient surgeries, diagnostic imaging, laboratory tests, emergency department visits, outpatient consultations, infusion therapy, and specialized treatments.
    • Patients visiting outpatient hospital departments receive care from hospital-affiliated healthcare professionals and have access to hospital resources and infrastructure.
  2. Ambulatory Clinic / Center (NUCC Vocabulary):
    • Ambulatory clinics or centers primarily offer outpatient care, providing a wide range of medical services without hospitalization.
    • These facilities may specialize in various medical specialties, such as primary care, specialty care, urgent care, diagnostic services, preventive care, and rehabilitation services.
    • Ambulatory clinics or centers are standalone or part of larger healthcare systems, offering accessible and convenient healthcare services to patients with flexible appointment scheduling.
      You can find more information regarding visits here: New Comprehensive Hierarchy for Providers, Visits (and Place of Service, Specialty, Care Site)
#3

Thank you @TetianaOrlova, you helped us out, we mapped our concept to “Outpatient Hospital” because in our case it is happening in a hospital setting.

Best,
Agota

t