Medical Finance for Day Hospitals
A day hospital is an outpatient facility which patients visit during the day for assessment, treatment or rehabilitation before going home or spending the night elsewhere. When it comes to day hospital finance, MediFin can provide patients with affordable medical loans for various procedures or treatments. This includes ear, nose and throat procedures or cosmetic surgery among many others. In this article, discover what a day hospital is, how it works, the different procedures undertaken at these facilities and how you can apply for day hospital finance.
What Is A Day Hospital And How Does It Work?
A day hospital is a facility that provides medical and surgical care for patients who do not require an overnight stay. Day hospitals are also sometimes referred to as ambulatory surgery centres, outpatient surgery centres, or same-day surgery centres.
Patients who have procedures or surgeries at a day hospital typically go home the same day. While some day hospitals might have accommodation for patients who need to stay overnight for observation or recovery, most do not.
Day hospitals often have their own staff of surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, and other medical professionals. Although some day hospitals are affiliated with larger hospitals, others are stand-alone facilities.
Types Of Procedures And Day Hospital Finance
In South Africa, day hospitals are modern health care facilities focusing on providing short-stay surgical and diagnostic procedures performed in an operating theatre on a same-day basis. As such, the patient is admitted in the morning and discharged later the same day. Despite not having overnight accommodations, some day hospitals can perform a wide range of surgical and medical procedures. For a full list of day hospital procedures, download this document from the Day Hospital Association (DHASA).
Surgical Procedures At A Day Hospital
- General surgery (laparoscopic appendicectomy, Inguinal hernia repair and Drainage of abscesses/hematomas among many others)
- Gastrointestinal surgery
- Gynaecological surgery
- Ophthalmic surgery
- Laser eye surgery
- Urologic surgery
- Plastic surgery
- Orthopaedic surgery
- Ear, nose, and throat surgery
- Dental surgery
Non-Surgical Procedures
- CT scans
- MRI scans
- X-rays
- Endoscopies
- Biopsies
Regardless of the procedure, MediFin’s day hospital finance can help. Click here to start the online application process which will only take a few minutes.
Benefits Of A Day Hospital
There are many benefits of having treatment in a day hospital, including:
- Reduced cost: Day hospitals are often cheaper than staying in a traditional hospital overnight.
- Shorter wait times: Day hospitals often have shorter wait times for treatment than traditional hospitals.
- Increased convenience: Most day hospitals provide planned, guaranteed admissions and a set time of discharge. This makes planning the medical procedure considerably easier for patients and doctors. By being better prepared, surgeons and other medical staff will be more productive. An added bonus is that nursing staff can work regular hours without any overnight duties.
- Increased comfort: Day hospitals often have private rooms and offer a more comfortable environment than traditional hospitals.
- Reduced anxiety: Day surgery is generally less stressful than undergoing surgical procedures at a larger hospital. It is especially great for children as their parents can remain by their side throughout the day and, in some cases, the procedure as well.
What Are The Limitations Of A Day Hospital?
Day hospitals provide an opportunity for patients to have short surgical procedures in a less intense setting, which gives peace of mind to both the patient and the healthcare professional.
However, there are some limitations to having treatment at a day hospital, including the following:
- Limited services: Day hospitals sometimes do not offer all of the services that traditional hospitals do
- Lack of overnight care: Day hospitals do not provide overnight care, so patients may need to find other arrangements if they require treatment outside of normal operating hours.
How Much Does A Day Hospital Cost?
The cost of a day hospital can vary depending on the location and the type of procedure but, in most cases, day hospitals are less expensive than traditional healthcare facilities. It’s best to talk to your healthcare practitioner about the total cost and then arrange day hospital finance accordingly.
The process of getting treatment at a day hospital is usually as follows:
- Schedule an appointment with your doctor
- Your doctor will refer you to a day hospital if they feel that it is the best option for your treatment
- Once you have been referred, you will need to contact the day hospital to schedule an appointment
- Apply for day hospital finance to get covered for the procedure or treatment
- On the day of your procedure, you will check in at the day hospital and be given a gown to wear
- You will then be taken to the operating room, where the procedure will be performed
- After the procedure, you will be taken to a recovery room to rest and recover from the anaesthesia
- Once you are recovered, you will be able to go home
- You will need to follow up with your doctor for a post-operative visit
How To Arrange Day Hospital Finance
South Africa is home to some of the best medical facilities and most sought-after doctors on the continent. As such, there are a host of day hospitals across the country which can be found online but to help in your search, here is a list of day clinics or day theatres from DHASA.
Whether you need laser eye surgery, a root canal, tummy tuck, cochlear implants or a tonsillectomy, day hospital finance from MediFin has you covered! Simply visit the website, click the button to ‘Apply Now‘ and complete the form. From there, MediFin will process your application and respond accordingly to your day hospital finance request.
