The importance of Day-care services in a hospital

January 07 04:39 2022 by admin Print This Article

One of the recent healthcare trends around the world, and in India too, is the emergence of Day-care hospitals. Day-care hospitals are more than an outpatient clinic and less than a full-fledged hospital. Outpatient clinics generally handle minor procedures, cuts, bruises, fractures, and general consultation. But where the patient requires specialized care without having to spend overnight in a hospital, an outpatient clinic falls short. That is precisely where Day-care Hospitals fill the gap.

Short-stay, Day-care Hospitals provide comfort and convenience to the patient and family. But they can also provide access to the expertise and experience of the panel of doctors that a traditional hospital has, but minus the hospitalization. Considering that there are many procedures that can be completed in a couple of hours’ time, overnight hospitalization only increases the expense for patients and inconvenience for their family members. The hospital too needs to deploy more resources to monitor and manage patients admitted for overnight stay. Day-care hospitals do away with all these extra commitments, while still providing the same quality of care as a full-fledged hospital offers.

Uses and Applications

So what are day-care hospitals being used for, today?

Day-care Hospitals provide the full-range of super specialty healthcare services which include consultation with specialists or super specialists across multiple departments, comprehensive diagnostic services that are on par with a traditional hospital, a range of preventive health-checkup packages, minor Operation Theatre and Pharmacy. Such hospitals are being used for:

• Cataract surgery
• A few ENT procedures
• Minor surgeries that do not require hospitalization
• Chemotherapy for cancer patients
• Outpatient Dialysis
• Endoscopic procedures or minimally-invasive surgeries

Kauvery Cancer Institute’s Day Care Centre

If we were to take a specific example, or a case study, one of the best would be the Chemotherapy Day-care center of Kauvery Cancer Institute in Chennai. Kauvery Hospitals, one of the leading chain of hospitals in South India, have always been at the forefront of innovation and early adoption. Although Day-care chemotherapy is a relatively new concept in India, Kauvery Hospital established a Day-care unit with patient comfort and patient experience in mind. The day-care unit caters to patients who are receiving chemotherapy infusions over a short duration (generally 2-6 hours).

In addition to chemotherapy, the Day-care is also used to carry out outpatient procedures like bone-marrow aspirations, lumbar puncture, blood transfusions and minor surgeries. All these are made possible by deploying state-of-the-art medical infrastructure and having a panel of experienced doctors at the hospital.

Features and Benefits

• The Day-care center offers a patient-friendly ambience where the patient and caregivers can walk in, get treated and be discharged the same day.
• Patients are taken care of by our expert Oncology team comprising of full-time Medical Oncologists, Hematologists, physicians, onco-nurses, pharmacists and well-trained support staff.
• It is cost-effective for patients, saves their time which would be unnecessarily wasted by overnight stay, and makes it hassle-free for family members or care-givers.
• There is minimum to no disruption to the patient’s regular routine, paving the way for quick recovery
• Patients can recuperate at their home after getting treatment in the day, which increases their comfort level and psychological recovery.
• There is no need for any boarding facility for caregivers of the patient. This is especially useful for patients coming in from outstation as they can now head back home after treatment.
• Since there is no overnight stay, patients with compromised immunity are at lesser risk of hospital-acquired infections. Facility services staff take utmost care in ensuring proper sanitation and disinfection towards this end.
• As patients are isolated from the hustle-bustle of a large hospital, cancer patients feel less stressed and can undergo treatment in a relaxed manner. This boosts their confidence and helps in faster recovery.
• Patients receive treatment on a private couch or in a common lounge in an aesthetic setting with soul-soothing music in the background. They can also read, watch TV or surf the Internet while going through the procedure.
• The waiting area and reception are spacious, cozy and noise-free. Attendants or family-members can spend time with magazines, newspapers and television, making it a nice experience overall, for everybody.
• Patients and attendants need not wait for long periods of time for admission procedures. There is a separate admission counter in the Day-care center, while the discharge process is quick.
• There is a dedicated insurance desk which offers services including cashless benefits and reimbursement of expenses.
• Psycho-oncologist service can also be availed if required, for clear communication, positive reassurance and stress alleviation.
• A dedicated Chemo Mixing Bio-safety chamber ensures utmost safety of staff and minimum delay in getting mixed chemo drugs for patients.
• A fully-equipped pharmacy where all medications are available round the clock.

The Day Care Centre is also capable of handling any emergency efficiently thanks to the Emergency Room (ER) which maintains essential drugs and equipment. And if required, the patient can be shifted to the our Kauvery multispecialty Hospital within minutes.

Outlook

Day-care centers adopt a customer-centric or patient-friendly approach to treatments and therapies that do not require overnight hospitalization. They are a win-win model for both the patient and the hospital. While patients and family members save a lot of time and hassle, the hospital can maximize their returns on the healthcare infrastructure. Above all, Day-care Hospitals have a transformative effect on society, as they help a large number of patients avail super-specialty treatment without burning a hole in their pocket.

Reviewed by Dr Suresh S Venkita, Group Medical Director, Kauvery Hospitals

Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.

Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801