Inpatient

An inpatient is someone staying at a hospital for one or more nights while undergoing medical treatment. The word comes from the term patient which is derived from the Latin word patiens, which refers to enduring or suffering. The adjective patient from the word patience comes from the same origin, but obviously, has a different meaning.

A hospital is the medical facility where patients can be treated overnight, as opposed to a clinic or medical center, where this is generally not possible. As a result, an inpatient is officially defined as someone who goes to the hospital with a serious ailment or condition, and needs to stay overnight or until he or she recovers. This [Page 920]may be for several days or weeks; in extreme cases, such as with coma patients, stays can last decades.

In emergencies, patients are admitted immediately. Visitors to emergency rooms are generally seen quickly, with an immediate report of the patient's condition made. Staff in the emergency room determines the urgency of the patient's need for medical treatment. Depending on these decisions and the number of patients waiting for emergency treatment, there can be a wait before a given patient is formally admitted. At this point, medical professionals determine whether or not the patient can be treated and released or will need a more prolonged stay for treatment, rest and recovery, or because of the patient's home situation; in some cases, a patient may be admitted because of the inability to return home or the need to notify family members.

If it is determined that the patient will be staying at the hospital for at least one night, the patient's status becomes “inpatient.” Hospital staff must then find an available bed, either at their hospital or at another nearby facility. Patients awaiting an operation, those recovering from a fall or accident, and those recovering from medical procedures are classified as inpatient until they have recovered sufficiently to allow a return home. Patients who arrive at the hospital for a planned medical procedure are generally classified as inpatient as well.

Upon discharge from a hospital, a person ceases to be an inpatient.