The full form of OPD is Out Patient Department.
Introduction
An OPD is defined as a wing of a hospital that ought to reflect the functioning of the hospital, being the first contact point between the patient and the hospital staff.
OPD Full-Form | Out Patient Department
- To avail of the services offered in an OPD, one needs to pay a visit and consultation charges. Thereby required assistance, treatment, or advice is provided by the respective doctors.
- OPD offers services like consultation, investigation, treatment for minor injuries, admission, and post-discharge follow-up. Also, promoting and preventing services like general illness vaccines, physiotherapy, etc., are delivered.
- OPD is visited by a large section of the public. OPD staff should be cooperative and efficient as the department acts as the mirror of the functions of a hospital.
- OPD services are also referred to as Ambulatory care services.
- This helps both the patient and hospital as the patient remains at his/her home and less demand for the hospital bed reduces the cost on patients.
- In a daycare procedure, one needs to be hospitalized for the treatment, even if it takes less time. Patient visiting the hospital for daycare is referred to as Inpatient. For OPD treatment, one just needs to walk into a hospital or a clinic and get the treatment done without being admitted for it. In this case, the patient is referred to as an outpatient.
- For example, a fracture in the bone can be treated either in a hospital or a clinic without being admitted, and thus the treatment falls under the OPD category. On the other hand, if the bone injury needs to be treated by an operation, then surgery may result in a daycare treatment.
OPD Benefits
- OPD services include a knowledgeable specialist, modern machines, and material resources to provide an impeccable medical diagnosis.
- If required, it refers patients to respective specialized departments like cardiology, neurology, ophthalmology, etc.
- It provides training to nurses, medical students, or technicians with diversified clinical practices.
- It aids in the control of communicable diseases by early detection and provides the specific treatment.
- It also caters to the community with preventive services like marriage counseling and planned parenting.
- It is less expensive in comparison to inpatient hospitalization.
OPD infrastructural facilities
Below is the listing of some of the requisite facilities of OPD:
- Entrance with wide steps and ramps
- Drinking water
- Washrooms
- Waiting area
- Reception
- Registration counter
- Consultation Room
- Wall clock
- Clinical area
- Wheelchairs and trolleys
- Examination equipment, etc.
Conclusion
So now you understood the meaning and full form of OPD in a hospital, the various services that are offered to a patient in the OPD, the benefits of OPD for a patient and the hospital, how to avail the services of OPD, and what are the requisite facilities of OPD. In case you still have any queries related to OPD, do write to us in the comment section below. We would be delighted to help you out.