An inpatient department or IPD is a unit of a hospital or a healthcare facility where patients are admitted for medical conditions that require appropriate care and attention. An Inpatient Department of the hospital is equipped with beds, medical equipments, round the clock availability of doctors and nurses.
When is a patient admitted in an inpatient department (IPD) ?
A patient is referred for an admission in the IPD wing of the hospital either from the outpatient department, emergency or a referral doctor for a planned procedure. A patient seeking consultation with a specialist for a medical problem can be referred for admission in the IPD for further treatment. A patient who arrives at an emergency unit of the hospital is shifted to an IPD for further treatment if required. Patients who have a procedure or a surgery advised in the hospital may get admitted for the same for a preoperative check-up and preparation for the procedure.
Does inpatient department have a separate billing unit?
Yes, the IPD has a separate billing unit where details about the stay in the IPD can be obtained depending. The billing unit of an IPD in a hospital has a predefined fees depending on the type of room (either a single, double sharing, triple sharing or a general unit), the type of speciality the patient is admitted in, the specialist under which the patient is admitted and the type of procedure the patient is admitted for. More details about the same can be obtained from the healthcare provider or the hospital itself and the fees for admission in the IPD may differ from hospital to hospital.
Are there insurance and corporate help desks for inpatient department ?
Yes, most of the hospitals have corporate and insurance help desks as a part of the billing unit.
Is there an international help desk for inpatient department ?
Yes, most of the hospitals have a separate international patient unit that cater to all the needs of international patients including the ones regarding the IPD services. The international patient services desk helps international patient in seeking the right care.
What happens when a person is admitted to an inpatient department ?
Once a patient is admitted to the IPD, the consultant doctor/specialist visits the patient for evaluation and advice further treatment plan. A nurse is assigned to the patient on rotation basis to monitor the vitals, take care of medicines and provide food on time.
Is the inpatient department equipped with doctors and nurses all the time?
Yes, an IPD is well equipped with nurses and duty doctors/ resident doctors round the clock for the adequate monitoring of the patients recovery. The duty doctors monitor the patient’s condition regularly and inform the concerned specialist in case of any improvement and deterioration of the patient’s condition.
Can other investigative procedures be carried out in an inpatient department ?
Yes, advised investigations like blood tests, serum analysis, radiographs, scans can be advised in an IPD. The nurse usually withdraws the blood samples and sends it to the laboratory for evaluation. In case of any radiological investigations the doctors instruct the nurses to prepare the patient for the same.
Is the inpatient department divided on the basis of specialties?
Yes, in multispecialty hospitals the IPD are divided as per the type of speciality per say general surgery, general medicine, orthopaedic, gynaecology etc. Ask your healthcare provider for more details on the availability of type of speciality in your hospital.
Is outside food allowed in inpatient department ?
No, outside food is not allowed in the IPD. Most of the IPD in hospitals have an in house kitchen which is monitored by dieticians to provide appropriate diet to aid in the recovery of patients.
What are the visiting hours in an inpatient department ?
The IPD in most of the hospitals have defined visiting hours for patient visitors. The visiting hours differ from hospital to hospital and more information about the same can be obtained from your healthcare provider.
Disclaimer: The content provided here is meant for general informational purposes only and hence SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, care or evaluation by a qualified doctor/physician or other relevantly qualified healthcare provider.