Outpatient department: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 18:17, 2 March 2016

The outpatient clinic of a hospital, also called an outpatient department (or outpatient ward) provides diagnosis and care for hospital patients that do not need to stay overnight.^[1] This is distinct from clinics independent of hospitals, which are usually designed mostly or exclusively for outpatient care and may also be called outpatient clinics.

Some hospitals' outpatient clinics are not part of the hospital building and may therefore be described as hospital-based outpatient clinics. They are however still considered part of the hospital and distinct from independent clinics (which may be described as or called outpatient clinics). Because hospital-based outpatient clinics must follow stricter government rules, they are more complex and more costly to operate^[2]

In many countries, hospitals do not have separate outpatient departments and outpatients are treated in the same departments as patients that stay overnight.

Many non-native speakers, even in the medical profession, misleadingly use the American English term policlinic or incorrectly use the (mostly) UK English term polyclinic to refer to this hospital department.^{[fn 1]}

Notes

^ In many languages besides English, there is a term used for the outpatient departments of hospitals that is etymologically related to the English term policlinic. In some languages, the same term is also used for independent outpatient clinics. In this term in English and other languages, the morpheme poli- means "city", "community", "nation" (cf. "metropolis", "political"). The English term policlinic is however not used in UK English;^[3]^[4] in US English it used only very rarely, only by members of the medical profession, and usually only when referring to outpatient departments of European hospitals or health care facilities.^[5] It is pronounced exactly like the more common term polyclinic, whose spelling arose due to confusion caused by the identical pronunciation^[6] and which is used to refer to several different kinds of health care institutions (see Polyclinic (disambiguation)) but not to outpatient departments of hospitals. Many non-native speakers, even in the medical profession, use the American English term "policlinic" or the (mostly) UK English term "polyclinic" to refer to hospital outpatient departments in English although "policlinic" is rare and misleading^[7] (because even most US speakers think an independent outpatient clinic is meant) and although "polyclinic" refers to an independent outpatient clinic.

References

^ Segen's Medical Dictionary and Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing
^ [1]
^ http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=policlinic
^ http://www.collinsdictionary.com/spellcheck/english/policlinic
^ "policlinic". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.
^ http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/nph-chw.php?query=policlinic&type=dicts
^
Merriam-Webster:
- polyclinic: a clinic or hospital treating diseases of many sorts—compare "policlinic"
- policlinic: a dispensary or department of a hospital at which outpatients are treated—compare "polyclinic"

This medical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[8] In many languages besides English, there is a term used for the outpatient departments of hospitals that is etymologically related to the English term policlinic. In some languages, the same term is also used for independent outpatient clinics. In this term in English and other languages, the morpheme poli- means "city", "community", "nation" (cf. "metropolis", "political"). The English term policlinic is however not used in UK English;^[3]^[4] in US English it used only very rarely, only by members of the medical profession, and usually only when referring to outpatient departments of European hospitals or health care facilities.^[5] It is pronounced exactly like the more common term polyclinic, whose spelling arose due to confusion caused by the identical pronunciation^[6] and which is used to refer to several different kinds of health care institutions (see Polyclinic (disambiguation)) but not to outpatient departments of hospitals. Many non-native speakers, even in the medical profession, use the American English term "policlinic" or the (mostly) UK English term "polyclinic" to refer to hospital outpatient departments in English although "policlinic" is rare and misleading^[7] (because even most US speakers think an independent outpatient clinic is meant) and although "polyclinic" refers to an independent outpatient clinic.

[1] Segen's Medical Dictionary and Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing

[2] [1]

[3] ttp://www.oxforddictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=policlinic

[4] ttp://www.collinsdictionary.com/spellcheck/english/policlinic

[5] "policlinic". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins.

[6] ttp://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/nph-chw.php?query=policlinic&type=dicts

[7] Merriam-Webster:
polyclinic: a clinic or hospital treating diseases of many sorts—compare "policlinic"

policlinic: a dispensary or department of a hospital at which outpatients are treated—compare "polyclinic"

[9] polyclinic: a clinic or hospital treating diseases of many sorts—compare "policlinic"

[10] policlinic: a dispensary or department of a hospital at which outpatients are treated—compare "polyclinic"

[1]

[2]

[fn 1]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 {{about|outpatient clinics or departments of hospitals|outpatient clinics not connected with hospitals|clinic}}
-The '''outpatient clinic''' of a hospital, also called an '''''outpatient department''''' (or '''''outpatient ward''''') provides diagnosis and care for hospital patients that do not need to stay overnight.
+The '''outpatient clinic''' of a hospital, also called an '''''outpatient department''''' (or '''''outpatient ward''''') provides diagnosis and care for hospital patients that do not need to stay overnight.<ref>[http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Outpatient+department Segen's Medical Dictionary and Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing] </ref> This is distinct from [[clinic]]s independent of hospitals, which are usually designed mostly or exclusively for outpatient care and may also be called outpatient clinics.
+Some hospitals' outpatient clinics are not part of the hospital building and may therefore be described as ''hospital-based outpatient clinics''. They are however still considered part of the hospital and distinct from independent clinics (which may be described as or called outpatient clinics). Because hospital-based outpatient clinics must follow stricter government rules, they are more complex and more costly to operate<ref>[http://www.wakehealth.edu/outpatient-clinics/ ]</ref>
+In many countries, hospitals do not have separate outpatient departments and outpatients are treated in the same departments as patients that stay overnight.
 Many non-native speakers, even in the medical profession, misleadingly use the American English term ''policlinic'' or incorrectly use the (mostly) UK English term ''polyclinic'' to refer to this hospital department.{{refn|group=fn|In many languages besides English, there is a term used for the outpatient departments of hospitals that is etymologically related to the English term ''policlinic''. In some languages, the same term is also used for independent outpatient clinics. In this term in English and other languages, the morpheme ''poli-'' means "city", "community", "nation" (cf. "metro''polis''", "''polit''ical"). The English term ''policlinic'' is however not used in UK English;<ref>http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/spellcheck/english/?q=policlinic</ref><ref>http://www.collinsdictionary.com/spellcheck/english/policlinic</ref> in US English it used only very rarely, only by members of the medical profession, and usually only when referring to outpatient departments of European hospitals or health care facilities.<ref>{{AHDict|policlinic}}</ref> It is pronounced exactly like the more common term ''polyclinic'', whose spelling arose due to confusion caused by the identical pronunciation<ref>http://triggs.djvu.org/century-dictionary.com/nph-chw.php?query=policlinic&type=dicts</ref> and which is used to refer to several different kinds of health care institutions (see [[Polyclinic (disambiguation)]]) but not to outpatient departments of hospitals.