outpatient

American  

[out-pey-shuhnt] / ˈaʊtˌpeɪ ʃənt /

Or out-patient

noun

1. a patient who receives treatment at a hospital, as in an emergency room or clinic, but is not hospitalized.

---

outpatient British  

/ ˈaʊtˌpeɪʃənt /

noun

1. a nonresident hospital patient Compare inpatient

---

Usage

What does outpatient mean? Outpatient is commonly used as an adjective to describe treatment that does not require a patient to stay overnight at a hospital or other care facility—they come and leave on the same day.Outpatient is used in contrast with the term inpatient, which describes treatment that requires a patient to be admitted for at least one night.The terms are especially used in phrases like outpatient procedure (after which the patient can leave, instead of staying for further observation or treatment), inpatient treatment (which requires the patient to stay overnight at the hospital), and inpatient room (where such patients stay).Outpatient and inpatient are typically used in the context of hospitals, though inpatient can also refer to a patient who is admitted overnight at a mental health facility or other kind of clinic.Both terms can also be used as nouns referring to such patients.Example: I have an outpatient procedure scheduled for tomorrow morning, so I should be back home by the afternoon.

Etymology

Origin of outpatient

First recorded in 1705–15; out- + patient

Example Sentences

And he might at some point be able to show that his condition has improved and have outpatient status or be released, Levenson said.

From Los Angeles Times

Those procedures are done on an outpatient basis.

From MarketWatch

People who seek treatment at the outpatient clinic, one of 16 federally supported Hansen’s disease clinics in the U.S., are often overwhelmed by dread, uncertainty and shame, Balquin said.

From The Wall Street Journal

After years of underuse, patients are coming back with more surgeries and outpatient procedures, pressuring insurer’s earnings.

From Barron's

Her own research found a 27% increase in outpatient respiratory visits among Kaiser Permanente Southern California members living within 12.4 miles of the burn zones in the week following the fires.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• case
• inmate
• subject
• sufferer
• victim