nonmedical

Nonmedical is an adjective used to describe things that do not involve medicine, medical care, or healthcare professionals. It is employed to distinguish nonclinical operations from direct patient care within health care settings, organizations, and education or research contexts.

Common applications include nonmedical staff (administrative personnel, facilities, security, food service, housekeeping, IT), nonmedical supplies (office supplies, linens, cleaning products), and nonmedical transport or services (transportation or logistics not delivering medical treatment). In education and social services, nonmedical programs refer to activities that are not focused on clinical treatment but may support overall well-being.

Hyphenation and usage vary by style guide. The term can appear as the closed form “nonmedical” or as “non-medical.” In some contexts, “nonclinical” is used as a closely related term to distinguish activities from direct patient care. In budgeting or policy, nonmedical costs refer to expenses not tied to medical services. The scope of the term can be broad and context-dependent, so clarification is often helpful.

See also nonclinical, healthcare operations, administrative support, and related terminology used to separate clinical care from other organizational functions.