visit hospital definition

Understanding the differences between inpatient vs outpatient care

Have you ever had surgery and spent the night in the hospital? Or maybe you’ve driven a loved one home from a same-day procedure, like a colonoscopy. It’s important to know how these services may appear on your health insurance bill — because one is called inpatient care and the other is called outpatient care.  

There can be quite a difference in what they cost and how your plan covers inpatient care vs outpatient care within the plan’s network of providers. The way to know the difference is whether you have to spend the night in a care setting (inpatient care) vs. being out the same day (outpatient care). Read on to learn about each type of care.

What is inpatient care?

Typically, inpatient care requires an overnight stay in a hospital or other care setting. Inpatient care tends to include more serious surgeries, procedures and care that require at least 1 overnight stay. Sometimes these visits are planned (like having a baby) and other times they’re not (like breaking a major bone). Inpatient care is needed for things like:

• Heart attack or stroke
• Orthopedic surgery
• Respiratory failure
• Bone fracture
• Certain mental health conditions
• Long-term care (like nursing homes)

What is outpatient care?

Outpatient care is anything that can be done in your doctor’s office or other medical clinic within a single day. Outpatient care and procedures include things like:

• Exams or consultations (like your yearly wellness exam)
• Same-day surgeries (like hernia repair, gallbladder removal or cataract surgery)
• Some emergency care (like stitches or care for a broken finger)
• Certain tests (like a mammogram or colonoscopy)
• Imaging (like X-rays, MRIs and CT scans)
• Lab work (like blood tests and tissue samples)

How are costs different for inpatient vs. outpatient medical care?

Like all health care services, there are many factors that determine how much care will cost — whether or not it’s inpatient or outpatient is one of them. You may have guessed inpatient care is usually more expensive because you’re staying overnight in a hospital. Inpatient care includes costs for days spent in the hospital, each provider who treats you and every procedure you have. The longer you stay in a medical facility, the bigger the bill (even if your health plan helps out).

Many health plans cover certain outpatient care. For example, preventive exams and some screenings are covered at 100%. Other outpatient care, like lab work, imaging and minor surgeries may also be covered — but at your plan’s benefit level. Outpatient costs will almost always be lower than inpatient costs.

Are there different doctors and providers for inpatient and outpatient care?

Most doctors can treat you in either an inpatient or outpatient setting. That said, specialists, like surgeons, may be more likely to provide inpatient care. For example, if you need back surgery, a specialist (orthopedic surgeon) will perform that type of procedure — likely in an inpatient setting. Common outpatient care, like labs, imaging and certain cancer screenings may be done by technicians.

What’s the difference between inpatient and outpatient mental health care?

When it comes to mental health , there are a variety of treatment options. Depending on the level of care someone needs, their provider will recommend inpatient and/or outpatient mental health care.

The main difference between the two is time spent in therapy and level of support during treatment. For example, inpatient mental health care allows for greater access to services in one facility (like access to nurses, mental health professionals or nutritionists). This type of temporary around-the-clock care is usually meant to treat someone’s mental health condition and help them get back to safely living on their own.

Outpatient mental health care is more flexible for those who need less support to manage their mental health. The time spent in outpatient therapy can vary depending on the individual and type of treatment they seek. For those who choose talk therapy, they may see a mental health professional a few hours each week.

When does someone need inpatient mental health care?

Inpatient mental health care is recommended in cases of mental health or medical crisis, or if there isn’t much support at home. A provider will refer patients to this type of care if certain requirements are met during assessment. Conditions that may require inpatient mental health care include:

• Eating disorders
• Psychotic disorders
• Alcohol use disorder
• Thoughts of suicide
• Medically assisted detox from drugs or alcohol

Inpatient mental health care can include hospitalization or admission to a mental health facility where there’s access to medical evaluations, therapies and/or constant care.

When does someone need outpatient mental health care?

Outpatient mental health care may be a good fit for someone with a safe home environment who doesn’t need medical detox or 24-hour supervision during their treatment. This type of mental health care is more common than inpatient care. It can be sought out on an as-needed basis, unless otherwise recommended by a provider. Conditions that may require inpatient mental health care include:

• Mood disorders

Outpatient mental health care may include different types of virtual or in-person therapy (like talk therapy) and/or medication . App-based mental health support is another option that has been gaining popularity.

Depending on your health plan, certain inpatient and outpatient mental health care may be covered. Always check your benefits to make sure you understand how your plan covers mental health services.

Choosing the right kind of care

It’s important to know which kind of care you need — and in which setting — so you can budget and minimize costs. Sometimes you may be able to choose whether you want inpatient or outpatient care, but other times you may not. If you find yourself planning for inpatient care, call your health plan to make sure you're choosing a network provider  and doing all you can to keep out-of-pocket costs down.

Your primary care provider will help you navigate your care options so you can make an informed decision.

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Emergency department or emergency room visit

Several approaches to defining emergency department or emergency room visits are used in Health, United States .

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)

Starting with the 1997 NHIS, respondents to the Sample Adult questionnaire, Sample Child questionnaire (a knowledgeable adult, usually a parent), and Family Core questionnaire are asked about the number of visits to hospital emergency rooms during the past 12 months, including visits that resulted in hospitalization. Respondents are asked, “During the past 12 months, how many times have [you/person/child] gone to a hospital emergency room about [your/his/her] health? (This includes emergency room visits that resulted in a hospital admission.)”

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

A hospital emergency department visit is a direct personal exchange between a patient and either a physician or a health care provider working under the physician’s supervision, for the purpose of seeking care and receiving personal health services. (Also see Sources and Definitions, Emergency department ; Injury-related visit .)

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Outpatient Care

What is outpatient care.

Outpatient care refers to any healthcare consultation, procedure , treatment , or other service that is administered without an overnight stay at a hospital or medical facility. Unlike inpatient care , patients receiving outpatient care are free to leave the medical facility once the service or procedure is complete.

Outpatient care is administered in various outpatient facilities such as primary care clinics, community health centers , urgent care clinics, and ambulatory surgery centers .

What are examples of outpatient care?

A routine primary care visit is a common example of outpatient care. Other examples of outpatient care include:

• Diagnostic imaging (e.g., x-rays , MRIs )
• Bloodwork and urine tests
• Physical therapy
• Colonoscopies
• Chemotherapy and radiation treatments

Certain surgical procedures , such as dental surgery, gastric bypass, breast augmentation, hip and knee replacements, and other procedures, can often be performed at outpatient facilities.

What types of outpatient care does insurance cover?

Hospital outpatient care service coverage varies based on a patient’s health insurance plan. Medicare Part B , for example, covers the following medically necessary hospital outpatient services:

• Emergency or observation services
• Mental health care in a partial hospitalization program
• Medical supplies
• Lab tests billed by the hospital
• Preventative and screening services
• X-rays and other radiology services billed by the hospital

Why is outpatient care important?

One of the greatest advantages of outpatient care is that it is more cost-effective than inpatient services. Overnight inpatient stays are often more expensive and require higher demands for hospital labor , medical equipment, beds, and food.

Outpatient care also allows patients to recover from treatments and procedures in the comfort of their own homes. This leads to improved patient experiences, as well as reduced risks of hospital-acquired conditions or healthcare-associated infections .

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Patients now have access to doctor's visit notes: A guide to what's inside

What does your doctor really think about your condition and health concerns? For more than a year now, patients have been able to access and read the observations doctors write down about them during a visit.

The clinical notes can come with surprises. Patients may be amused to find out they’re described by their physician as “well-nourished,” “well-groomed,” “pleasant” or “normal-looking.”

“’He is not ill-appearing or toxic-appearing.’ That’s the best review I’ve ever received,” one man wrote on Twitter after reading his doctor’s notes.

But patients may also be taken aback by comments referring to them as “obese” or mentioning their marijuana use. One woman was shocked when she saw her doctor wrote down that she “seemed overly dramatic,” she complained on Reddit .

As of April 2021, healthcare providers must give patients access to all of the health information in their electronic medical records as part of the 21st Century Cures Act . That includes your doctor’s written comments about your physical condition during a visit, along with any symptoms and what the treatment should be.

The rules don’t apply to psychotherapy notes made during counseling sessions or when doctors believe a patient would harm another person or themselves after reading the information, according to OpenNotes , a non-profit organization based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston that advocates for greater transparency in healthcare.

Doctors have been both supportive and cautious of the movement. In a 2020 survey of 1,628 clinicians, 74% agreed note sharing was a good idea.

“It does give the patient a lot more ownership of their medical condition because they can see what we’re thinking about, they understand our thought processes a little bit more, and they can see what the options are,” Dr. Sterling Ransone, Jr., a family physician in Deltaville, Virginia, and chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told TODAY.

But knowing that patients can now read his notes, Ransone finds he self-censors himself to avoid sounding critical or judgmental of a patient.

“It’s difficult because sometimes you have to leave a note to yourself what your concerns are, but they can cause anxiety with the patient,” he noted. “I can say that it really has changed the way that a lot of physicians write their notes.”

That means more accessible language, less jargon and more caution with certain terms that might offend or upset a patient.

Ransone no longer uses the abbreviation “SOB,” which stands for “short of breath” and instead writes out the full term in his notes. Same with “FU,” which stands for “follow up.”

The American Academy of Family Physicians has also urged doctors to write “patient could not recall” instead of describing them as a “poor historian;” “patient declines” instead of “patient refuses;” and “patient is not doing X” instead of describing them as “non-compliant.”

A guide to your doctor’s note:

The medical note has traditionally included four parts, Ransone said: The subjective findings, or what a patient said they were concerned about; the objective findings, or what the doctor actually observed during the visit; the physician’s assessment after evaluating the patient and the treatment plan.

Doctors are used to jotting down any observations that can offer clues to what’s going on. So writing down that a patient “seemed overly dramatic” can mean the person’s complaint wasn’t consistent with the degree of their symptoms and something else might be the reason for their visit that day, he noted.

Here are other descriptions patients may find in their doctor’s notes:

Well-groomed or pleasant: This can indicate mental status. “If someone comes in and they’re somewhat disheveled, it leads you to wonder why and what do I need to look into?” Ransone said. “Pleasant” means the patient was communicative and responded to social cues, he noted. Patients who are upset or sleepy could have a substance abuse disorder or another reason why they’re having trouble interacting.

Well-developed or well-nourished: “A lot of times when people look at open notes and they’ll say, ‘Well, of course I am. What does this mean?’” Ransone said. “It just means that we checked in our mental checklist… (that) those aren’t things that we need to worry about.” If a person isn’t well-nourished, it might mean they don’t have access to food or their teeth might be in such bad condition that they can’t chew and get nutrition.

Unremarkable: This is a good thing. “Unremarkable is exactly what you want to be when you see a physician,” Ransone said. “I joke with my patients all the time: You want to be the most boring patient that I’ve seen today, because that means we haven’t seen anything that is abnormal that we need to chase down.”

Obese : To a physician, the term means the patient is of a certain weight for their height and frame, which comes with a certain constellation of medical concerns, Ransone said. “There’s a stigma to obesity in society and a lot of patients really don’t want to have that on their charts… but it’s a very important piece of the puzzle for me as I’m trying to help a patient get healthier,” he noted.

Substance use: This isn’t necessarily bad. Doctors will note a patient has an occasional glass of wine, for example, to give them an idea of the person’s alcohol consumption habits. “The way that our society looks at, say, marijuana use has changed a lot over the years, but a lot of people don’t want that included in the medical record,” Ransone said. “I’d like to know if someone is smoking weed because it could affect the medications that I should give them for their health condition.”

Other health observations patients frequently don’t want on their chart include mental health issues such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder, he noted.

Some patients have called Ransone to ask that he change something in their note because they see it as a pejorative or they disagree with his assessment, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong, the doctor noted.

One guide for physicians suggested telling the patient: “I’m sorry you disagree with my assessment. While I can’t change my medical opinion, if you’d like I can add that you disagree with it.”

Patients pointing out factual errors — such as noticing the note referenced a problem in the right knee rather than the left — is a completely different issue. If there's anything inaccurate in your chart, bring it to your doctor's attention.

In fact, patients who read their doctor’s notes may play an important role in finding errors in their records, a 2020 study published in JAMA found.

Ransone encouraged patients who are reading their doctor’s notes to keep the lines of communication with their physician open.

“Don’t necessarily assume the worst when they read things. Realize that a lot of the things that they read are open to interpretation,” he advised.

A. Pawlowski is a TODAY health reporter focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.

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Word of the Week: Ambulatory

Alex Dos Diaz / Verywell

Each week, Verywell explains a term from health, medicine, science, or technology.

How to say it :  Ambulatory ( am-byoo-la-tor-ee )

What it means : Able to walk about; not stuck in bed.

Where it comes from : From Latin, ambulātōrius, "suitable for walking."

Blend Images/JGI/Tom Grill/Getty

Where you might see or hear it : You might see the word "ambulatory" on a sign at a hospital or clinic. This type of care is also called " outpatient " because you do not need to be admitted to the hospital.

Getting a blood test at the lab or an imaging scan like an X-ray are a few examples of ambulatory care.

When you might want to use it : You may hear the word ambulatory or ambulate if you are in the hospital and healing after surgery . Your provider might tell you that you have to be "ambulatory" before you can be discharged.

You can tell your family that your provider said that you need to be able to safely get out of bed and walk a short distance—such as to the bathroom or down the hall—on your own before you can go home.

Merriam-Webster. Definition of ambulatory .

Example sentences hospital visit

During a hospital visit , the nun spoke with a patient who told her that she was in great pain.

Definition of 'hospital' hospital

Definition of 'visit' visit

Related word partners hospital visit.

Browse alphabetically hospital visit

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Meaning of hospital in English

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• He is critically ill in hospital.
• I would much rather have my baby at home than in hospital.
• He worked as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital.
• The injured were taken to several nearby hospitals.
• The hospital is carrying out tests to find out what's wrong with her.
• accident and emergency
• aid station
• birth centre
• delivery room
• detoxification centre
• health authority
• institutional
• managed care
• maternity suite
• maternity unit
• medical centre
• memory clinic

hospital | American Dictionary

• hospitalization

Examples of hospital

Collocations with hospital.

These are words often used in combination with hospital .

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Translations of hospital

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play truant

to be regularly absent from school without permission

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Definition of hospital noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• to/into (the) hospital (British English) He had to go to/into hospital for treatment.
• (North American English) He had to go to/into the hospital for treatment.
• I'm going to the hospital to visit my brother.
• to be admitted to/into (the) hospital
• Arrangements have been made for his admission to (the) hospital.
• He's been taken to (the) hospital for tests.
• The injured were rushed to (the) hospital in an ambulance.
• to leave (the) hospital
• to be discharged/released from (the) hospital
• to visit a hospital
• in (the) hospital He died in hospital .
• He was treated in the hospital for burns.
• I spent four days in hospital.
• I was in the hospital for four days.
• in a hospital She works in a hospital in New York.
• out of (the) hospital She came out of the hospital this morning.
• at a hospital Doctors at the hospital decided to keep her in overnight.
• a private/local hospital
• a psychiatric/maternity hospital
• a children's hospital
• The procedure requires a two-to-three-night hospital stay .
• There is an urgent need for more hospital beds .
• hospital admissions
• hospital staff
• a hospital ward/room
• hospital treatment/care
• I had to go to hospital.
• She spent two weeks in hospital
• I had to go to the hospital.
• She spent two weeks in the hospital.
• He has been readmitted to hospital.
• He is in hospital recovering from a heart operation.
• He was taken to hospital as a precaution.
• He's had to go into hospital rather suddenly.
• How long will I have to stay in hospital?
• I used to work as a cleaner in a hospital.
• She works at the John Radcliffe Hospital.
• We went to the hospital to visit my gran.
• He was admitted to hospital complaining of chest pains.
• She was discharged from hospital and allowed to go home.
• There is a shortage of hospital beds.
• rush somebody to
• administrator
• at a/​the hospital
• in (a/​the) hospital
• to (a/​the) hospital
• admission to hospital
• admission to the hospital
• a stay in hospital

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Medical Definition

Medical definition of visit.

Medical Definition of visit  (Entry 2 of 2)

More from Merriam-Webster on visit

Nglish: Translation of visit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of visit for Arabic Speakers

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