Patient

Patient

In the realm of health care, a patient is an individual who receives medical attention, care, or treatment. The patient is commonly an ill or injured person seeking the expertise and services of health professionals like physicians, nurses, psychologists, dentists, veterinarians, or other health care providers.

Receptionist attending to an outpatient

Etymology

The term "patient" is derived from the Latin word patiens, signifying 'one who suffers'. The Latin origin stems from the present participle of the verb patior, translating to 'I am suffering'. This is closely related to the Greek verb πάσχειν (paskhein, meaning to suffer) and its associated noun πάθος (pathos).

Classification of Patients

Outpatients

An outpatient (or out-patient) is an individual hospitalized for a duration shorter than 24 hours. Regardless of whether the patient undergoes formal admission, they are still registered, with documentation explaining the nature and reason for the medical procedure, inclusive of pertinent details such as patient's identity, personnel involved, and expected pre- and post-service times. Such a mode of treatment is termed ambulatory care. Some surgeries might not necessitate a formal hospital admission or an overnight stay, known as outpatient surgery. This approach offers several advantages, including minimal medication and better time management for the health care provider. More often, such procedures occur in the surgeon's office, a scenario termed office-based surgery, as opposed to a hospital-based operating room. Outpatient surgery generally caters to patients in good health undergoing minor to intermediate procedures.

Inpatients

Contrarily, an inpatient is someone who gets "admitted" to the hospital for an overnight stay or longer, potentially spanning days to weeks. In rare cases, patients may reside in the hospital for extended durations, sometimes until their passing. Such treatment is designated as inpatient care. The patient's entry into the hospital is marked by an admission note, and their departure is denoted by a discharge note, officially termed as discharge.

Issues in Outpatient Facilities

It's alarming to note that the primary cause of medical errors in outpatient facilities is misdiagnosis. A pivotal 1999 report by the National Institute of Medicine titled “To Err is Human” highlighted that a staggering 98,000 hospital patients annually succumb due to preventable medical errors within the U.S. While initiatives have extensively targeted inpatient safety for over a decade, a greater risk of medical errors lurks in outpatient settings like doctors' offices and clinics.

Day Patients

A day patient utilizes a hospital or clinic's complete suite of services but doesn't stay overnight. Originally, psychiatric hospitals employed this term to describe patients transitioning from in-patient to out-patient care. Presently, the term also encompasses those attending hospitals for day surgeries.

Alternative Terminology

The word "patient" sometimes raises concerns tied to dignity, human rights, and political correctness, prompting the use of other designations. Alternatives include health consumer, health care consumer, customer, or client. Yet, these may be perceived as business-like, especially in public health contexts.

In veterinary medicine, the term client often refers to the animal's owner or caretaker. Various entities, like insurance companies, patient groups, or health facilities, may utilize these terms. Those who have availed psychiatric services sometimes identify themselves as consumers, users, or survivors.

In nursing homes and assisted living facilities, residents is the preferred term over patients. However, it's not uncommon for the staff to use "patient" when referring to residents. Conversely, individuals receiving home health care are labeled as clients.

See also

• Health care
• Medical treatment
• Inpatient care
• Outpatient care

References

• National Institute of Medicine, 1999. “To Err is Human.”
• Nursing homes and assisted living terminology guidelines.

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