The inpatient and outpatient hospital services are two totally different processes that are used in the medical facilities or practices at different timing. The major differences between inpatient and outpatient hospital services are the type of services they provide, the coding, and billing process. With the inpatient care patients are required to be admitted in a hospital or to stay overnight. Inpatient care can be provided to patients through skilled nursing facilities, which includes care given by licensed nurses under direction of a physician, such as intravenous injections, tube feeding, and changing sterile dressings on a wound. Then you have the long-term care facilities, such as nursing home that custodial care for patients with chronic disabilities and prolonged illnesses.
Outpatient care, which can be provided in hospital emergency rooms or departments are the most common facilities we hear of. Outpatient care covers all types of health services that do not require the patient to stay overnight in the hospital. Outpatient departments provide services such as same-day surgery, where surgeries are performed and the patient does not have to stay overnight or be admitted in the hospital. Then you have home health care services, such as physical therapy or skilled nursing care that could be provided at a patient home. You have care services, such as skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and care by home health aides that is considered as outpatient services. The differences affect the coding process because of the time frame they are being used.
The outpatient setting that I have chosen is Memorial Health System Hospital located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Memorial strives to provide the highest quality of health care while creating an outstanding health system where patients heal and people thrive. Memorials values are compassion, integrity, quality, respect and teamwork. (Memorial, 2012) Memorial hospital originally was Colorado Conference Deaconess Hospital and Nurse Training School. This facility was developed by a group of woman from the Methodist Church in 1904. In 1943, Colorado Springs Council purchased the facility and renamed it Memorial Hospital to honor the men and women who lost their lives in World War II (Memorial, 2012). Memorial Hospital became Memorial Health System with its significantly expanded geographical presence throughout the community.