IWK Health provides both outpatient and inpatient services. Outpatient services mean that you’ll likely be going home the same day you visit. Examples of outpatient services include x-rays, getting blood drawn, ultrasounds, and other sorts of testing. For outpatient services like this, you won’t be “admitted” to the hospital.
On the other hand, if you’re at the IWK for inpatient services, you will need to be admitted. Inpatient services are typically more involved procedures that require you to stay overnight, over multiple nights, or even longer. Inpatient services typically include things like planned surgery, emergency surgery, and labour and delivery.
Being admitted
There are three main ways you might be admitted to the IWK as an inpatient.
Scheduled admit
If you have surgery scheduled, for example, then your admission to the IWK will be a scheduled admit. For planned/scheduled hospital admissions, you may have to attend a pre-admission assessment to make sure you are ready for treatment. You’ll receive a letter or phone call to confirm the date and time of your hospital stay, and to discuss any special instructions you need to follow before arriving.
Emergency admit
If you arrive at the emergency department, either on your own or by ambulance, because of an emergency health issue, the emergency department physician will decide whether your condition can be handled within the emergency department. If not, you’ll be admitted, and moved to a room.
Direct admit
Your family doctor can decide that you’re so ill or so in need of care—possibly that you’re labour, for example—that they will contact the hospital directly to have you admitted as an inpatient.