Question

A patient who receives diagnostic or therapeutic care in an outpatient department because such care is unavailable in a primary care provider's office is a(n)

a) Inpatient
b) Emergency patient
c) Outpatient
d) Urgent care patient

Answer 1

An outpatient is someone who gets medical care without an overnight hospital stay, fitting the scenario described in the question.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct answer to the question is c) Outpatient. An outpatient is someone who receives medical services without being admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay. This is the situation described in the question, where a patient is receiving diagnostic or therapeutic care in an outpatient department because such care is unavailable in a primary care provider's office. The provided context indicates that access to medical facilities can be limited for poor people, especially before the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Poor people frequently had little means to obtain health insurance, limiting their healthcare options. Due to the high costs associated with emergency room care, which they are often forced to resort to, the burden of these costs is shared by taxpayers and insured individuals, illustrating an economic externality. Hospitals that serve many indigent patients face financial instability and potential closure.