2.2 Inpatient Care
Brandon Censon MPH, CPH, RRT-NPS, CPFT, CPT
Inpatient care is provided in a hospital or other facility where a patient will spend at least one night, often more, depending on why the patient was admitted and the level of care needed. Hospitals and other inpatient care settings employ the largest number of healthcare professionals. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024), the healthcare industry is projected to add just under 2 million new jobs each year.
Hospitals
As of 2023, approximately 6,100 active hospitals in the United States account for roughly 34 million annual admissions (American Hospital Association [AHA], 2024). These hospitals vary in size and capacity. For example, general hospitals treat a range of medical problems and age groups and may provide an assortment of diagnostics and surgical interventions. Some hospitals have specialty units to care for individuals with specific medical needs, such as oncology (cancer), trauma and burn care, cardiovascular services, behavioral health, and pediatrics (children). Hospitals in the United States can be differentiated by several factors, including:
- Function
- Some hospitals provide general medical care.
- Some hospitals provide specialized medical care.
- Size
- Small hospitals have fewer than 100 beds.
- Medium hospitals have between 100 and 499 beds.
- Large hospitals have more than 500 beds.
- Location
- Rural hospitals serve smaller communities and have limited access to specialized services.
- Urban hospitals serve larger metropolitan areas and offer a variety of specialized services.
Hospitals can be categorized as non-profit, for-profit, government-owned, and short-stay hospitals. Here are brief descriptions of each:
- Non-Profit Hospitals: Often what comes to mind for medical care, these hospitals operate as charities and adhere to state and federal charity guidelines.
- For-Profit Hospitals: Privately owned or owned by shareholders and investors, these hospitals differ significantly from non-profits.
- Government-Owned Hospitals: Also called community hospitals, these hospitals receive funding from local, state, and federal governments. They serve a large number of underinsured or uninsured patients and are often academic medical centers or teaching hospitals that provide hands-on education to medical trainees.
- Short-Stay Hospitals: These hospitals provide acute care, and the length of a patient’s stay before being transferred to a long-term care facility is limited.
Inpatient Behavioral Health Centers
Behavioral health provides care for patients who are mentally ill, but may or may not be able to care for themselves. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2023), one in five adults in the United States live with some type of mental illness, and 44% of adults with a diagnosed mental illness seek mental health treatment. Mental illnesses can be placed into two categories:
- Any Mental Illness (AMI): The effects of AMIs can range from minimal to severe impairment.
- Serious Mental Illness (SMI): SMIs result in serious functional impairments that significantly impact activities of daily living.
Conditions treated in behavioral health centers include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, alcohol and substance abuse disorders, and intellectual disabilities. Treatments provided include medication management, psychotherapy, psychosocial treatments, brain stimulation therapy, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and other stimulation therapies.
Attributions
- Figure 2.1: image released under the Pexels License
The level of health care that a patient may receive for an injury or illness that is brief but severe.
Activities that we do everyday such as basic hygiene, eating, ambulation, exercise, getting dressed, going to the restroom, bathing, etc.