Similarities and Differences of Inpatient and Outpatient Hospital Services

Hospital services can either be inpatient or outpatient. There are significant
differences between these two hospital services. There are also some similarities between
them. This paper examines these differences and the similarities with examples provided in
each case.

Similarities Between Inpatient and Outpatient Services

The main similarity between outpatient and inpatient services is that they are provided
by the same healthcare professionals. Even though inpatient services tend to be provided by a
large group of providers that includes physicians, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, and
specialists such as cardiologists, physicians are the main providers of both services. Whether
one is receiving outpatient or inpatient services, the provider is often a physician.

Differences Between Outpatient and Inpatient Services

Inpatient services are services that require a patient to be admitted into a hospital for
more than 24 hours (UnitedHealthccare, 2021). A patient is considered an inpatient only if
they are formally admitted to the hospital with an order from the doctor. Without such an
order, the patient is considered an outpatient one.

Apart from doctor’s order and length of stay in the hospital, the two services are also
differentiated by their complexity. Generally, inpatient services are complicated and more
time-consuming than outpatient services. Inpatient services include complex surgeries,
childbirth, serious medical issues or illnesses that require closer monitoring by a healthcare
professional, such as having serious breathing difficulties and rehabilitations services for

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severe injuries or psychiatric illnesses. Outpatient services, on the other hand, include minor
surgeries, routine physical examinations, x-rays, CT scans, and lab tests.

The costs involved for the two services are also different. For inpatient services, the
fee covers not just tests performed and doctor’s services but also covers the cost of hospital
facilities that the patient uses while admitted. In outpatient, the fees cover only tests
performed on the patient and services of the doctor. Thus, in general, outpatient services tend
to be cheaper than inpatient services (UnitedHealthcare, 2021).

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References

UnitedHealthcare (2021, April 20). Hospital Services (Inpatient and Outpatient).
UnitedHealthcare® Medicare Advantage.