This article explains how to change a patient's consultation type between inpatient and outpatient. The consultation type is set when you book the appointment, but you can change it during the visit.
Note: The new consultation page is being released during September 2026. You can switch between versions at any time from the top of the consultation page. This article covers how to change the consultation type in both.
Change to Inpatient Consultation
To change an outpatient consultation to inpatient:
Go to the consultation page.
Open the Mark as inpatient dialog:
New consultation page: in the bottom action bar, select Mark as inpatient. Or, in the Consultation overview section, select Inpatient from the Consultation type drop-down list.
Old consultation page: in the Consultation details section, select Mark as inpatient next to Type.
In the Mark as inpatient dialog, fill in the fields and select Mark as inpatient.
After this change, the consultation type will be inpatient. On the dashboard, a hospital symbol appears next to the patient's name and in the Status column. You can select this symbol to go directly to the Consultation details section within the consultation.
Change to Outpatient Consultation
To change an inpatient consultation to outpatient:
Go to the consultation page.
Change the consultation type:
New consultation page: in the Consultation overview section, select Outpatient from the Consultation type drop-down list.
Old consultation page: select the pen button for the Consultation details section. Change the Consultation type from 'Inpatient' to 'Outpatient'. Then select Save.
Note: If your clinic location uses the Smart Flow integration, you cannot change an inpatient consultation back to outpatient after a clinical note has been added.
Important Considerations
Sometimes, depending on your workflow, it can be better to finalize the existing consultation and create a new one when moving a patient from inpatient to outpatient. This approach ensures that all features and workflows align with the new consultation type.
Multi-patient consultations cannot be converted into inpatient consultations. If a patient in a multi-patient outpatient consultation requires inpatient care, a new single-patient inpatient consultation should be initiated.
Understanding Consultation Types
Outpatient Care: Refers to a consultation where the client typically pays the invoice immediately after their visit before leaving the clinic.
Inpatient Care: Involves a patient staying at the clinic or hospital for treatment.
Home Call: It generally refers to a visit where veterinary practitioners travel to the client's location, such as a home or farm, to provide care.
Farm Visit: Refers to a visit where veterinary practitioners travel to the client's location, specifically a farm, to provide care for production animals. This is only visible if the Clinic location setting Enable production animal features setting is active.
The key distinction lies in whether the patient remains at the facility for ongoing care (inpatient) or departs after the visit (outpatient), or if the visit is at the client's location (Home call and Farm Visit). This dictates many of the specific features and workflows available in the system, such as automatic fees for hospital stays and detailed treatment planning.