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What is the difference between outpatient and inpatient care?

Also called: Outpatient ASC vs. Inpatient Hospital Targeting, ambulatory care

Inpatient care is care for patients formally admitted to a hospital; outpatient (ambulatory) care is care that doesn't require admission, such as clinic visits, same-day surgery and imaging. More procedures are moving from inpatient to outpatient settings.

By John Britton, VP of Marketing, MedicalProspects · Updated November 4, 2026 · Healthcare Organizations

Why it matters for healthcare sales and marketing

Where care happens decides who buys. Inpatient purchases run through hospital committees; outpatient settings, such as surgery centers, clinics and imaging centers, often have smaller, faster decision teams. As care shifts outpatient, device and service vendors follow.

How it works

  • Inpatient: admitted hospital stays, intensive care, complex surgery.
  • Outpatient: physician offices, hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgery centers, imaging centers, urgent care.
  • The shift: new techniques and payment policy keep moving procedures, such as some joint replacements, into outpatient settings.
Comparison of inpatient care (admitted stays, ICU, complex surgery, hospital committees) and outpatient care (offices, outpatient departments, ASCs, imaging, smaller decision teams).
Care is shifting outpatient, and outpatient settings often have smaller, faster decision teams.

Example

Illustrative scenario. An orthopedic device company that sold mostly to hospitals adds an outpatient track: surgery centers and orthopedic practices, with messaging on cost per case and turnover time.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming the hospital is the only buyer. Outpatient settings may now perform the procedure.
  • Using inpatient sales motions outpatient. Decision teams are smaller and faster.
  • Confusing hospital outpatient departments with ASCs. They're different settings with different buyers.

Related terms

  • Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC)An ambulatory surgery center (ASC) is a facility that performs surgical procedures that don't need a hospital admission, so patients go home the same day. In the U.S., Medicare certifies ASCs and publishes the list of procedures it pays for in that setting.
  • Urgent Care and Retail ClinicsUrgent care centers and retail clinics both offer walk-in care for non-emergency needs. Urgent care centers usually have physicians, nurse practitioners or physician assistants plus on-site X-ray and lab testing; retail clinics sit inside pharmacies or stores and are usually staffed by nurse practitioners for minor illnesses and vaccinations.
  • Value Analysis Committee (VAC)A value analysis committee (VAC) is a multidisciplinary hospital or health system team that reviews requests for new products and decides whether to approve them, weighing clinical evidence, safety, total cost and fit with existing contracts.
  • Integrated Delivery Network (IDN)An integrated delivery network (IDN) is an organization that owns or runs several kinds of care settings, typically hospitals, physician groups, outpatient centers and post-acute care, under one parent, usually with shared purchasing, IT and clinical standards.

Put it to work

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