Reference table
Visit types
A reference table of the visit types the platform recognises, including outpatient, inpatient and emergency, with the traits of each.
The platform recognises outpatient, inpatient, emergency, day-care and self-referred visits. You choose the type when the visit opens, and the type shapes what the visit starts with and how it runs.
The types at a glance
Each type opens a visit through Gate, and each carries its own shape of care. The table sets out what each holds and how it opens.
| Visit type | What it holds | How it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Outpatient | A patient seen in a clinic and home the same day. | A booked appointment or a walk-in at the front desk. |
| Inpatient | A patient admitted to a ward for a stay across one or more nights. | An admission at the front desk. |
| Emergency | A patient brought for urgent care. | A one-tap emergency intake, with identity captured then or reconciled later. |
| Day-care | A patient admitted for a procedure and home the same day. | An admission at the front desk. |
| Self-referred | A patient who comes for a service such as a laboratory test. | A walk-in that opens the visit directly. |
Traits side by side
The types differ in how they start and what they hold while they run. Read the grid down a column for one type, or across a row for one trait.
| Outpatient | Inpatient | Emergency | Day-care | Self-referred | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booked from an appointment | Present | Partial | Absent | Partial | Absent |
| Holds a bed or a location | Absent | Present | Partial | Present | Absent |
| Runs across a night | Absent | Present | Partial | Absent | Absent |
| Needs clinician contact to progress | Present | Present | Present | Present | Absent |
The type stays with the visit
You pick the visit type as the visit opens. The type you choose sets the default the platform starts the visit with, and it stays fixed for the life of that visit. A later contact of another kind opens a fresh visit with its own type.
Types over time
A patient meets the hospital in different ways across the years. One patient may hold an outpatient visit this month and an inpatient stay the next. Each visit carries its own type, and the patient record draws them all together.
Common questions
Can a visit change type once it is open?
The type stays fixed for the visit. If the care shifts to a different kind, a fresh visit opens with the type that fits, and the record holds both.
Which type does a lab-only patient use?
A self-referred visit fits a patient who comes for a service such as a laboratory test and reaches no clinician. It opens and closes on its own once the service finishes.
See the visit lifecycle to follow a visit of any type from arrival to discharge.