Hospitalization and Discharge Terminology
Hospital care may involve emergency assessment, monitoring, procedures, and treatment. Discharge planning organizes the instructions and support needed after the hospital stay.
Admission and hospital care
- Triage: Assessment used to prioritize patients according to the urgency of their needs.
- Admission: The process of formally accepting a patient into a hospital or care service.
- Inpatient: A patient formally admitted to a hospital for inpatient care.
- Observation status: An outpatient classification used while assessing whether inpatient admission or discharge is appropriate.
- Intensive care unit (ICU): A hospital unit providing close monitoring and specialized treatment for critically ill patients.
- Attending physician: The physician responsible for overseeing a patient’s medical care during a defined period.
- Hospitalist: A physician whose practice focuses on caring for hospitalized patients.
- Procedure: A clinical intervention performed for diagnosis, treatment, or another healthcare purpose.
Discharge preparation
- Discharge planner: A professional who helps arrange care and services needed after leaving a facility.
- Discharge summary: A clinical record describing the hospital stay, treatment, condition at discharge, and follow-up needs.
- Discharge instructions: Directions about medicines, care tasks, activity, follow-up, and when to seek help after leaving a facility.
- Medication reconciliation: Comparing medication information to identify and resolve discrepancies during care transitions or other reviews.
- Pending test result: A test result not yet available when a care decision or discharge occurs.
- Caregiver training: Instruction for a person who will help with care tasks.
Ongoing care and transitions
- Follow-up appointment: A scheduled visit to review recovery or ongoing treatment.
- Wound dressing: Material used to cover, protect, or support care of a wound.
- Activity restriction: A limit on movement or activities recommended as part of treatment or recovery.
- Transfer: Movement to another unit, hospital, or care setting.
- Readmission: A new hospital admission after an earlier discharge.
- Home health care: Healthcare services provided in a patient’s home.
Admission classifications, discharge procedures, and follow-up arrangements may vary by facility, health system, and individual needs. The hospital team can explain the applicable plan. Hospital discharge should not be confused with bodily discharge, meaning fluid or material released from the body.