outpatient

An outpatient, also known as a day patient or ambulatory patient, is a person who receives medical care without being admitted to a hospital overnight. Outpatient care covers diagnosis, treatment, and preventive services provided in clinics, physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, or hospital departments. Patients typically arrive for a scheduled visit or procedure and return home the same day, though some services require short observation after discharge.

Common outpatient services include consultations, imaging tests, laboratory work, minor surgical procedures performed with local or regional anesthesia, endoscopy, radiology-guided procedures, physical therapy, and infusion therapies such as chemotherapy or antibiotics. Emergent but non-admitted care, such as urgent care visits, can also be classified as outpatient.

Operations often require a pre procedure evaluation, informed consent, and post procedure instructions. Care planning may involve a nurse navigator, discharge planning, and follow-up appointments. Billing typically includes facility charges and professional fees; insurance coverage varies by plan and jurisdiction, with some services billed as outpatient procedures and others bundled with hospital stays.

Advantages of outpatient care include lower costs, reduced risk of hospital-acquired infection, and increased convenience for patients who do not require overnight monitoring. Limitations include the need for adequate home support, potential need for rapid escalation if complications arise, and variability in access and quality of care. Outpatient care is central to modern ambulatory medicine and is expanding with new techniques and settings.