What is the difference between inpatient, outpatient and day patient care?
Find out the difference in care for inpatient, outpatient and day patient
Key points
- Inpatient care involves staying overnight in a hospital for intensive treatment, monitoring or recovery from serious illness or surgery.
- Outpatient care covers same-day appointments, tests or procedures that don’t require an overnight hospital stay.
- Day patient care includes longer hospital visits for treatment and recovery, without staying overnight, often used for minor surgeries or chemotherapy.
- The type of care needed depends on your condition, treatment complexity and how much supervision or support is required during recovery.
The type of care someone receives can vary depending on their condition, the treatment required, and the level of support they might need along the way. Some approaches involve a longer stay in hospital or clinic, while others are designed to be much shorter, with people returning home the same day. There are also options that fall somewhere in between, offering a balance of treatment and recovery under professional supervision, without the need for an extended stay.
Knowing the difference between inpatient, outpatient and day-case patient care will help you make an informed decision about what kind of health insurance suits you best.
What is inpatient care?
Inpatient care is what we call medical treatment that requires a patient to stay in a hospital or healthcare facility overnight. This could be for just one night or for an extended period. This type of care is often needed when you’re recovering from major surgery or a severe acute illness requiring close monitoring and specialist care.
Inpatient stays can be necessary for certain diagnostic tests, surgical procedures and medical treatments, and serious illness. The goal is to provide specialist treatment and supervision in a controlled setting until you’re stable enough to continue recovery at home or in another care environment.
Does health insurance include inpatient care?
You can choose the level of health cover you’d like, but inpatient care for acute conditions is usually covered as standard. However, there may be an excess that you’ll need to pay, and your cover will be dependent upon getting treatment from one of the hospitals and/or specialists on our approved list.
What is outpatient care?
Outpatient care is what we call medical treatment or consultation that doesn’t need an overnight stay in a hospital or clinic. Patients come in for an appointment, procedure, or test and return home the same day. This type of care is often used for things like:
- Consultations with a specialist
- Diagnostic tests or imaging, such as blood tests and x-rays
- A therapy session, such as physiotherapy or counselling
Does health insurance cover outpatient care?
That depends. Outpatient mental health treatment is included as standard in our health insurance, as are diagnostic tests. Beyond that, you may need to choose to enhance your cover with optional add-ons. This means you can get cover for things like physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic therapy. Talk to one of our team to find out more about your options.
What is day-case patient care?
Like outpatient care, day-case treatment is a type of medical treatment that doesn’t require an overnight stay in a hospital.
The difference is usually to do with both the location of treatment and the amount of time it takes. Day-case patient care usually means spending several hours, or most of the day, in a hospital ward or operating theatre. Outpatient care is generally completed in much less time and usually takes place in Outpatient or Imaging departments.
Day-case patient care is more involved than a typical outpatient visit, often involving preparation, treatment, and a short recovery period under medical supervision. Day-case patient care is often used for things like:
- Minor surgeries, such as tonsillectomies or cataract surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Diagnostic procedures that require monitoring
Does health insurance cover day-case patient care?
Again, that depends. Diagnostic tests, consultations and treatments with specialists, and eligible cancer treatment are all covered as standard. Beyond that, it may be a question of choosing enhanced cover. Talk to one of our team to discuss your options.
What determines the type of care you need?
The type of care that you need is usually determined by your condition, the complexity of the proposed treatment , and the level of monitoring required afterward.
For example, someone recovering from major surgery or dealing with a serious illness may need inpatient care so healthcare professionals can provide round-the-clock observation – in which case, inpatient care will be needed.
If the treatment is a minor diagnostic test or Specialist consultation, outpatient care is usually sufficient and appropriate.
If the necessary procedure is more complex than an outpatient visit, but doesn’t require an overnight stay, day-case patient care will usually be offered.
When deciding on the appropriate care location , doctors will factor in things like your general health and the proposed treatment.
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