Outpatient Services

Knowing whether you’re an outpatient or an inpatient is important if you’re having hospital treatment and have private health insurance.

An outpatient department or outpatient clinic is the part of a hospital designed for the treatment of outpatients, people with health problems who visit the hospital for diagnosis or treatment but do not at this time require a bed or to be admitted for overnight care. Modern outpatient departments offer a wide range of treatment services, diagnostic tests, and minor surgical procedures. The outpatient department is an important part of the overall running of the hospital. It is normally integrated with the in-patient services and staffed by consultant physicians and surgeons who also attend inpatients in the wards. Many patients are examined and given treatment as outpatients before being admitted to the hospital at a later date as inpatients. When discharged, they may attend the outpatient clinic for follow-up treatment.

Health funds are generally unable to cover outpatient services, and having a test, procedure, or consultation in a hospital doesn’t necessarily mean you’re an inpatient, this is a common source of confusion and frustration.

Understanding the difference between an inpatient and outpatient service

Inpatient service is any service you have once you’ve been formally admitted to a hospital. So outpatient is anything where you’re not formally admitted to the hospital.

Here’s an example of an outpatient procedure

The most common outpatient procedures are going to a hospital for tests, attending an outpatient clinic, or having a consultation in a hospital with a specialist. It’s not until you fill out all the admission paperwork and are formally admitted that you change over to inpatient services. If you’re in an Emergency department you’re still considered an outpatient while you’re there. This is the same for private and public hospitals.