ambulatory medical record (AMR)

An ambulatory medical record (AMR) is an electronically stored file of a patient’s outpatient medical records, which includes all surgeries and care that do not involve being admitted to a hospital.

 An AMR is similar to an electronic medical record (EMR) but while EMRs keep track of inpatient care (surgeries and care that require spending overnight or longer in a hospital), AMRs only apply to medical procedures and care that do not result in an overnight stay in a hospital or that are given in non-hospital settings such as urgent care clinics, physicians’ offices and at-home medical care. 

AMRs are stored in electronic databases called ambulatory medical record systems (AMRS) that are accessible by doctors and other medical professionals. In combination with EMRs, AMRs allow a physician to view a patient’s complete and accurate medical history.

See also: HIPAA, electronic health record (EHR)