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What are the Benefits of Outpatient Care?

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Published on July 04, 2023. EST READ TIME: 3 minutes

In today’s fast-paced world, healthcare has evolved to meet the needs of individuals seeking suitable and efficient medical services. Outpatient care has emerged as a vital component of the healthcare system, offering numerous advantages to patients. Outpatient care allows patients to receive treatment for minor illnesses or injuries without the need for hospitalisation, thereby freeing up hospital resources for more pressing cases. It also offers a cost-effective alternative. Let’s explore the concept of outpatient care, its necessity in modern times, and its many benefits. Also, let’s understand the importance of having a comprehensive health insurance policy with adequate coverage to fully leverage the advantages of outpatient care.

What is outpatient care?

Outpatient care refers to those medical procedures which do not require a hospital stay and can be completed in less than 24 hours. Generally, outpatient care includes mild illnesses and related doctor consultations, diagnostic tests, pharmacy expenses, etc. However, with the advancement in medical science and technology, several procedures are done in less than 24 hours as outpatient services.

Benefits of outpatient care

Outpatient service is gaining popularity in India due to its unparalleled benefits. Let’s take a look.

1. Saves time

In today’s fast-paced lives, time is money. While dealing with a health issue, you must be aware of how much time it will cost you and how work commitments can be dealt with simultaneously. Well, this is where outpatient care is a preferred mode as it lets the patient seek treatment while continuing to fulfil personal as well as work commitments.

2. Pocket friendly

Since outpatient care does not require the patient to stay overnight in the hospital, it is generally less expensive. It only includes consultation and pharmacy expenses.

3. Enables wider access to healthcare facilities

Outpatient care is a boon to patients living in rural and semi-rural areas as outpatient facilities can be set up closer to them with limited resources. Seeking treatment at an outpatient facility will also eliminate the patient’s travel and accommodation expenses.

4. Results in swift treatment

When the treatment requires a hospital stay, a patient has to factor in a lot of aspects like cost and personal commitments before deciding to go for the treatment. But with outpatient care, patients can make swift decisions without disrupting their lives and balance.

5. Enables better treatment outcomes

Since outpatient care can be accessed according to the patient’s preference of time and place, it results in faster decisions and timely actions. With outpatient care, patients can manage even chronic conditions with minimal effort and enjoy improved overall health.

6. Convenient

When a health issue strikes, it takes arduous efforts to maintain a balance between seeking treatment and managing daily lives. Outpatient care lets the patients go on with their daily lives while seeking treatment, making it the most convenient.

7. Results in better healthcare efficiency

With the advancement in technology, even some critical treatments are now possible through outpatient care. This results in the optimum utilisation of resources and helps the healthcare providers focus on inpatient hospitalisation.

8. Ensures patient satisfaction

When patients receive timely and effective care at the time and place of their convenience, they tend to be more satisfied with the treatment.

Conclusion

When it comes to health, we should not ignore any medical procedures requiring hospitalisation owing to the exorbitant costs. While it is a wise decision to buy a health insurance policy to ensure that hospitalisation expenses do not dent our financial health, it is also important to understand that regular outpatient services can pose a similar burden on your finances. Thus, it is imperative to select a health insurance policy, whether a family health insurance or individual health insurance, that promises to cover outpatient expenses providing wholesome security to you and your family. If your individual health insurance policy doesn’t cover OPD expenses, you can opt for OPD add-on cover by paying an additional premium.

Disclaimer : The above information is for illustrative purpose only. For more details, please refer to policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales

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