Clinic
- This article describes clinic, a type of medical facility. For information on the band of the same name, see Clinic (band).
A clinic or outpatient clinic is a small medical facility that provides health care for ambulatory patients - as opposed to inpatients treated in a hospital. Most clinics are run by one or more general practitioners but there are clinics operated by private corporations, government organizations or hospitals.
The function of clinics will differ from place to place - for instance, a local general practice run by a single general practitioner will provide primary health care and will usually be run as a for-profit business by the owner whereas a government specialist clinic may provide subsidized specialized health care.
Some clinics function as a place for people with injuries or illnesses to come and be seen by medical professionals. In these clinics, the injury or illness is not serious enough to warrant a visit to an emergency room. Treatment at these clinics is often much less expensive than it would be at an emergency room. Also, unlike an emergency room these clinics are often not open on a 24 x 7 x 365 basis. These clinics often have access to diagnostic equipment such as X-ray machines, especially if the clinic is part of a larger facility. Doctors at such clinics can often refer patients to specialists if the need arises.
In contrast, the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic are two comprehensive healthcare systems. They both began as much smaller group practices that have grown into top medical programs in the United States but have kept their original names.