What is one thing excluded from the definition of an inpatient service day?

In the context of healthcare metrics, particularly when calculating inpatient service days, the day of discharge is not included in the definition. An inpatient service day typically represents a full calendar day that a patient spends in a hospital from the time of admission until the day before discharge. Therefore, the day when a patient is discharged is not counted as an inpatient service day because the patient is no longer using the facility's resources or receiving care in the hospital environment on that day.

The day of admission is counted as the first day of the inpatient stay, marking the beginning of hospital services provided to the patient. Moreover, the count of staff present and the number of outpatients are metrics relevant to staffing and outpatient care, respectively, but they do not impact the definition of inpatient service days directly. Understanding these definitions is crucial for accurate healthcare management, resource allocation, and financial planning within health services.