A Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance is a CARE CONTACT.

A Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance is an attendance at an Out-Patient Clinic at which a PATIENT is seen by or has contact with (face to face or via another  CONSULTATION MECHANISM) a CARE PROFESSIONAL as part of a Care Professional Out-Patient Episode.

A Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance may involve more than one PERSON (e.g. a family). The number of attendances to be recorded should be the number of PATIENTS for whom the particular CARE PROFESSIONAL has identifiable individual clinical records which will be maintained as a result of the attendance.

If the PATIENT is seen by a CARE PROFESSIONAL, is then sent elsewhere for a Clinical Investigation, and then returns to the Out-Patient Clinic to be seen again by a CARE PROFESSIONAL from the same clinical team, a single Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance is recorded.

A visit by a CARE PROFESSIONAL to the home of a PATIENT which is instigated by the Health Care Provider to review the urgency of a proposed admission to hospital, or to continue to supervise treatment initiated or prescribed at a hospital or clinic, may be recorded as a Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance.

A Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance may also be recorded if a PATIENT is seen by a CONSULTANT with a different MAIN SPECIALTY during a Consultant Episode (Hospital Provider), where there is no transfer of clinical responsibility for the care of the PATIENT.  For example, a PATIENT who is admitted to hospital under Gastroenterology MAIN SPECIALTY following an overdose may be seen while still in hospital by a psychiatrist who has been asked to assess their mental condition. The assessment by the psychiatrist should be recorded as a Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance.

During the Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance, PATIENT DIAGNOSES made and Patient Procedures undertaken should be recorded in clinical records for the PATIENT.

A series of Care Professional Out-Patient Attendances form a Care Professional Out-Patient Episode which is generated from a single REFERRAL REQUEST. A PATIENT may have more than one Care Professional Out-Patient Episodes with the same CARE PROFESSIONAL for different clinical conditions, if separate REFERRAL REQUESTS are made.

A PATIENT attending a WARD for examination or care will be counted as an Care Professional Out-Patient Attendance if they are seen and/or treated by a CONSULTANT or other doctor. If they are seen by a NURSE, the activity is recorded as a Ward Attendance.

This supporting information is also known by these names:

Context	Alias
plural	Care Professional Out-Patient Attendances