Inpatient vs Outpatient Care: 2 Key Differences Explained

The truth is that health is your main asset for getting through daily activities. Without it, you cannot enjoy life. Illness makes you suffer, however serious it is. When you are sick, you have only two options for getting better: inpatient care or outpatient care. Did you know the two are different? What are the differences?

Treatment Provided

One striking difference between inpatient and outpatient care is the treatment a patient receives. An inpatient is admitted to the hospital and, on arrival, receives treatment that involves staying overnight there. Inpatients usually spend a set period in a hospital ward.

Besides being given a room right away, inpatients are monitored regularly by their doctor to track their recovery. The doctor follows that progress while also reviewing the medical records kept since the patient was admitted.

Outpatients, by contrast, leave the doctor's clinic or hospital after treatment. A patient is placed on outpatient care once the treating doctor has given approval. Outpatients recover at home but must still take the medicine the doctor prescribed. They are also required to see the doctor for a check-up once or twice a week, depending on the doctor's instructions.

Service Procedures

Another difference between inpatient and outpatient care lies in the service procedures. A patient receiving outpatient care goes through the following steps.

The outpatient first fills in a registration form as a new patient.
The outpatient waits while the administration staff enter the new patient's data.
The patient receives a printout of the clinic history summary, a patient card, a payment receipt, a polyclinic (outpatient clinic) queue number and the patient's master index card.
The outpatient goes through the new patient registration procedure for outpatient services. The registration procedure includes the following:

Completing the patient registration transaction
The outpatient receives a polyclinic queue number and a payment receipt for the treatment
The patient is directed by the administration staff to the polyclinic room and waits to be examined according to the queue number
The patient waits for the examination in the order of the number the staff gave
The patient is examined by the doctor on duty
After the examination, the patient collects the medicine from the pharmacy

Unlike the outpatient procedure, the inpatient procedure is divided into three conditions: non-urgent patients, urgent patients and critical emergency patients.

Non-urgent patients are those whose care can be postponed because their illness is not getting worse. Urgent patients are in an emergency condition, although one level above non-urgent patients. Critical emergency patients must be treated immediately, and their care cannot be delayed any longer.

The inpatient procedure goes as follows.

The inpatient or a representative gives the administration staff all the patient information they need
The inpatient receives first treatment from the doctor on duty
After first treatment, the patient moves into the ward room the staff have prepared
The patient has laboratory tests or surgery if needed
The patient takes medicine as the doctor orders
The patient may go home once the doctor gives permission
The doctor explains anything else related to care after the inpatient stay

Those are the two differences between inpatient and outpatient care that you need to know. Even now that you know the difference, keep yourself in good condition. Illness is expensive, so it is best not to go through it.