Medical observation is a medical service aimed at continued care of selected patients, usually for a period of 6 to 24 (sometimes more) hours, to determine their need for
inpatient admission. This service is usually provided in emergency departments.
A patient held for observation is not admitted to the
hospital
A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...
, though there are certain similarities: patients will be checked in, pertinent information from the patient or their representative can be taken, and nurse(s) and doctor(s) from the given department may visit and a physical exam and personal and family history, and basic blood and imaging tests be conducted, and a bracelet for the observation period be given to the patient. However, they are not admitted formally to the hospital as an inpatient. They may be assigned a bed on the hospital's patient floors outside of the ER or the department they arrived in, or in a dedicated observation unit.
An
EmPATH unit is a specialized type of hospital-based outpatient medical observation unit dedicated to mental health emergencies.
In the United States, some
Medicare patients have spent several days as an outpatient in the hospital, but never officially being an ''inpatient'' in the hospital, which results in unexpected bills and makes them ineligible for Medicare payment for some future necessary services, especially skilled nursing care.
See also
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Hospital bed
A hospital bed or hospital cot is a bed specially designed for hospitalized patients or others in need of some form of health care. These beds have special features both for the comfort and well-being of the patient and for the convenience of h ...
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Inpatient care
Inpatient care is the care of patients whose condition requires admission to a hospital. Progress in modern medicine and the advent of comprehensive out-patient clinics ensure that patients are only admitted to a hospital when they are extremel ...
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Watchful waiting
Watchful waiting (also watch and wait or WAW) is an approach to a medical problem in which time is allowed to pass before medical intervention or therapy is used. During this time, repeated testing may be performed.
Related terms include ''expe ...
References
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Emergency medical services