polikliniskt

Polikliniskt is a term used in Scandinavian health care to describe outpatient care and services delivered in a poliklinik, or outpatient clinic. The adjective or adverb denotes activities that do not involve a patient staying overnight in a hospital. The word stems from a combination of clinical practice and the concept of a polyclinic, where multiple specialties may be available in a single setting.

Outpatient care covered by polikliniskt services typically includes consultations with medical specialists, diagnostic testing (such as laboratory analyses and imaging), follow-up appointments, and planning of treatment. Minor procedures, injections, wound care, rehabilitation sessions, and certain diagnostic or therapeutic interventions can also be performed on an outpatient basis. Patients usually arrive for a scheduled visit and return home on the same day.

The main distinction from inpatient care is that polikliniskt services do not require an overnight hospital stay. Inpatient care involves admission to a hospital for treatment that necessitates at least one night away from home. Some procedures commonly performed as outpatient care may be part of a broader care pathway that includes brief hospital stays, depending on local practices and patient needs.

Organization and use vary by country and health system, but polikliniskt care is commonly organized through hospital outpatient departments or private clinics. Referrals from primary care physicians often initiate outpatient visits, and multidisciplinary teams may collaborate to provide comprehensive evaluation and management while limiting hospital admission.

Etymology-wise, poliklinisk/ polikliniskt derives from polyclinic, reflecting a clinic offering multiple medical specialties under one roof. The term remains widely used in Swedish and related Nordic languages to describe non-admitted medical care.