They may have the same name and same noble working in mental health, but still there are notable differences inpatient and outpatient. Mental healthcare is an essential part of well being and individuals experiencing mental health challenges often seek professional assistance to their conditions.
Depending on the conditions of the persons, professionals healthcare aim either Inpatient or Outpatient care. While both approaches improve health care, they both work differently and process different structure, intensity, and type of support provided.
Understanding these differences is very crucial so in the below we are going to talk about these more deeply into treatment types and highlight which procedures are typically covered by these forms of care.
Definition: Inpatient & Outpatient
Inpatient care involves spending at least one night in a hospital or other medical facility. The length of time spent depends on the person’s condition. A stay overnight may only be required for childbirth as an example but it could extend to days, weeks, or even months for those suffering from a serious mental health disorder. In this mental healthcare refers to treatment provided within the hospital or under the residential facility where patients stay overnight for a designated period.
When someone receives inpatient treatment they are under the care of healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, and physicians. Depending on the reason why they are receiving inpatient hospital; care, a person will be admitted to a particular service. These services include general surgery, orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, oncology, and psychiatric care.
Outpatient care involves administering medical care to patients not hospitalized or admitted to hospital. Aside from situations that require inpatient care and standard treatments like blood tests and annual check-ups, virtually every other form of care can be considered outpatient. Treatments, diagnostic tests, psychiatric care and other procedure types can be covered under outpatient service.
This type of care is scheduled visits to health care professionals for individual mental health therapy, counseling, and treatment. This form of care is suitable for individuals with mild to moderate mental health conditions who can manage their daily responsibilities while receiving treatment.
Inpatient & Outpatient: Treatment, Cost, Insurance, Providers
Treatment: The main difference between inpatient and outpatient care has been highlighted already. This is the type of treatment that is supplied. With inpatient, you are considering procedure types such as emergency surgeries and treating unstable health conditions. For outpatient care, this involves less serious treatments like minor surgeries, lab tests, and imaging.
The treatment type also filters into the stay and care provided. For an outpatient medical procedure, the patient visits the medical facility and returns home the same day. Hospital services for inpatient care, on the other hand, involve at least an overnight stay.
The approach to care is also different between the two. For outpatient care, a patient is monitored until they are released. With inpatients, this extends to 24-hour monitoring. This means they constantly track patients – with no breaks in their monitoring – and provide them with care whenever needed, whether this is at 3pm or 3am.
Cost: Typically, there is a significant cost difference between inpatient and outpatient care costs. This point is important in the inpatient versus outpatient care debate, as it ultimately impacts the eventual bill patients will receive for their treatment.
The fees associated with outpatient care are relatively straightforward. These fees usually cover doctors’ fees, tests performed (if applicable), and medication (again, if applicable). This makes it fairly easy to work out how much treatment will cost, whether it is only a single session or a scheduled program over a set number of weeks.
Things get more complicated when discussing inpatient care. This is due to one aspect: facility-based fees. Overnight hospitalization means patients have to cover their accommodation bills. As more healthcare professionals are involved with monitoring and treating patients, this also has to be factored into the bill. Additionally, the treatment itself can be much more complicated – and thus, expensive – compared to outpatient care.
The length of an inpatient stay will have a significant impact on its overall cost. A person who has to stay overnight is going to pay a lot less than someone who has to remain in treatment for, say, two weeks in total.
Insurance: Extending on from the previous point, insurance plays a big role in determining how much a patient has to spend on their treatment. With health insurance in place, this plan will either reimburse insured patients or directly pay medical care providers for their services.
At least, this is how it works in theory. Insurance plans can get a little messy when trying to differentiate between inpatient and outpatient coverage.
Take Medicare as an example. In Part B of their coverage, both inpatient physician-related services and outpatient care are covered. Yet Part A also covers inpatient-focused hospital services such as general nursing and rooms. A problem can crop up with an overnight hospital stay under observation status. Why? Well, Medicare will consider you an outpatient – and that means they won’t provide coverage for that overnight stay.
Medicare isn’t the only one. All insurance plans have to differentiate the services provided under inpatient and outpatient care. This can create confusion, particularly when the care between inpatient and outpatient can differ and result in a lot of complex points.
Due to this confusion, it is always wise for a patient to consult with their medical team to understand their status when it comes to insurance coverage.
Providers: When thinking about inpatient versus outpatient care, there is a generalization about the healthcare providers for each treatment option. With outpatient providers, this is commonly linked to primary care physicians. For inpatient providers, the physicians are usually seen as specialists. However, this is an overly simple way of looking at the provider types.
Ultimately, effective care is achieved when healthcare providers work together and leverage the technology available. It doesn’t matter about their specific settings and specialties.
This is why a lot of physicians split their time between supplying both outpatient and inpatient services. An obstetrician, for instance, will provide outpatient treatment when consulting pregnant patients during prenatal check-ups, and they will also supply inpatient treatment when delivering babies. This is the same for other medical professionals who work across both fields.
However, there is a notable difference in terms of how many interactions with providers are made by each patient type. In general, an inpatient will work with a higher number of providers during their treatment. A hospital stay could see them interacting with nurse practitioners, physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists, lab technicians, and so on. On the other hand, outpatients may only directly interact with a single therapist for mental health during their treatment.
The Importance of Inpatient and Outpatient Treatment
Yes, there are differences between both outpatient and inpatient care. That said, there is one aspect which is shared between them: their importance. Inpatient and outpatient procedures are a necessity for helping patients recover and improve their physical and mental well-being.
The importance of inpatient care is clear to everyone. Without appropriate treatment for serious illnesses, injuries, and conditions, many patients wouldn’t survive. Inpatient care is essential in ensuring the most ill patients are given the treatment they need.
However, you cannot overlook the importance of outpatient care. It’s true: patients are typically not as sick as those that require hospitalization. Yet the care they receive is still highly important. Regular outpatient treatment is necessary to maintain a patient’s health. Without routine wellness exams and healthcare check-ups, this increases the possibility of a serious disorder or disease developing.
Furthermore, outpatient care can be invaluable as someone transitions from inpatient care. If someone is dealing with mental health or substance abuse issues, intensive outpatient services can further assist with their treatment. It gives them a stronger foundation to continue with recovery and enjoy long-term success.
Conclusion
There are benefits for both treatment types. Inpatient care supplies a controlled environment where care and well-being are prioritized. Outpatient care is less expensive, less restrictive, and allows for building more constructive, long-lasting support networks. The latter points are why many are recommended to attend IOS for mental health and substance abuse disorders, whether they have received inpatient support previously or not.