nonpatiënten

Nonpatiënten is a Dutch term used primarily in medical and health research to refer to individuals who are not patients within a given context. It is used in contrast to patiënten (patients) and can denote people who do not currently receive medical treatment or who do not have a diagnosed condition in a study period. In population health research, nonpatiënten often serve as a control or reference group representing the general population.

The exact definition of nonpatiënten varies by study protocol. They may be defined as individuals without the disease or condition studied, or as those who have not sought care within a defined period. Status can be dynamic: a person may be a nonpatiënten at one time and a patiënt later if symptoms or illness develop.

In epidemiology, health services research and policy analysis, distinguishing between patients and nonpatiënten helps compare disease burden, treatment access, health literacy, and outcomes. The term is more common in Dutch-language scholarly texts; in everyday language, people may refer to the general population or to nonpatiënten as a translation of “nonpatients.”

See also: patiënt, controlegroep, populatie, cohortstudie.