OPD Full Form

The OPD can be described as a centre for ambulatory care involving numerous healthcare services. These healthcare services include diagnosis, observation, consultation, and treatment. Healthcare providers in the OPD can directly cater to patients’ needs or refer them to other institutions. The referral is due to the lack of qualified personnel or inadequate technology at the specific OPD. Furthermore, patients have developed a greater preference for outpatient services in recent years. This shift can be attributed to advanced technology utilised in diagnosis, routine procedures, and payment plans. These factors favour easier disbursement of outpatient services. However, some OPDs have a characteristic patient waiting time.

Hospital zones

The functional hospital design entails dividing space into various rooms, which are designated as departments. Examples of departments include OPD, inpatient department, emergency department, laboratories and much more. These departments can be grouped hierarchically depending on their function, as some are more important than others. The design of hospitals incorporates this hierarchy to promote convenience and comfort while maintaining a high standard of care. Hospital dimensions are classified into five zones, each comprising of different departments:

• Zone 1: OPD, ED, main lobby and front and back offices
• Zone 2: Laboratory and diagnostic departments
• Zone 3: OT suites, ICU, labour and delivery department
• Nursing zone: Consists of inpatient beds with associated nurse stations and support areas
• Service zone: Comprises the electrical, fire, plumbing, medical gas areas, kitchens  and housekeeping unit.

Types of outpatient services

Outpatient services can be divided into two main categories, including:

• Centralised outpatient services provide all healthcare services in a single setting, including diagnostics and therapeutics
• Decentralised outpatient services involve the production of services in their respective departments

Decentralised outpatient services have increased as more qualified outpatient centres are set up. These centres vary from outpatient clinics, surgery centres, physical therapy centres to chemotherapy and radiation therapy clinics

Terminologies used in the OPD

• General outpatient

A general outpatient is a person who comes to the OPD independently without prior referral to access the diagnostic and therapeutic hospital services on an outpatient basis. They do not consider their condition an emergency. Furthermore, general outpatients constitute the majority of users of the OPD in public hospitals. They have a variety of diseases, and some patients can come in for minor ailments.

• Emergency outpatient services

Emergency outpatient care involves the clinical assessment of individuals involved in an accident or suffering from a sudden severe illness and requires urgent medical care. Even though a patient and their relatives may term a condition an emergency, the physician may have an opposing view.

• Referral outpatient

These are the patients referred to the OPD by other physicians to get a specific diagnostic or treatment option. These patients are required to revisit the referring physician for further care.

• Outpatient visit

An outpatient visit refers to going to the OPD to receive ambulatory care. There is a new outpatient visit and repeated outpatient visit. The new outpatient visit implies that this is the first time a patient has been to the OPD.

• Unit of service

A parameter that measures the volume of service provided in the OPD expressed in terms of time and quality.

• Service time

This measurement is the time it takes a doctor to diagnose and issue instructions to the patient. Activities such as noting medical history, conducting a physical examination, making a case note, writing a prescription, and signing pharmacy requests are considered in-service time.

• Patient waiting time

This measurement is the time taken from when the patient entered the OPD to be discharged. It includes procedures such as registration, consultation, emergency room treatment, laboratory tests, and waiting for tests. The reasons for a long patient waiting time include the unavailability of doctors engaged in surgery and emergency care, lack of numerous radiological equipment, the long billing process, slow distribution of medication at the pharmacy, and doctors being late.

Benefits of the OPD

Outpatient care has several benefits that improve patients’ experiences in hospitals. The OPD increases convenience when seeking medical attention as all the necessary primary care procedures are performed in one setting. The OPD is far more suitable than the inpatient department as patients do not have to stay overnight, reducing cost and service time. Furthermore, the OPD is an affordable facility. The patient can receive a comprehensive medical assessment and still accumulate a low-cost bill. Compared to inpatient services, the OPD is far cheaper.

Functions of the OPD

• Facilitates ambulatory care through early diagnosis, curative, and rehabilitative care
• Used as a training centre for medical students
• Promotes effective treatment through comprehensive healthcare services
• Facilitates the screening of patients before hospital admission
• Enables the follow-up of patients and medical care after discharge
• Involves the education of patients on promotive and preventive health measures

Conclusion

The need for an OPD in hospitals has boomed in recent years. This boom is due to the advancement of technology, reduction of hospital staff, and reduction of working costs in numerous hospitals. These factors have shifted focus to outpatient care rather than inpatient care. The function of the OPD has also expanded. Aside from its regular ambulatory functions, the OPD also caters to patients’ diagnostic and therapeutic needs. There is a greater unit of service in many OPDs. However, patients should consider their own needs before choosing which OPD to visit. These needs depend on their condition, availability, and the health centre’s quality of healthcare delivery.