Inpatient discharge date refers to which of the following?

• A. Date of last discharge from inpatient facility
• B. Date of admission
• C. Date of next appointment
• D. Date of discharge from outpatient clinic

Answer: (A)

The main idea is understanding what marks the end of an inpatient stay. Inpatient discharge date is the day the patient leaves the inpatient facility—the end of that hospital or inpatient stay. This date is used to show when care transitions from inpatient to the next setting (such as home health) and to coordinate subsequent services. It isn’t the admission date (the start of the stay), it isn’t the date of a future appointment, and it isn’t the discharge date from an outpatient clinic. The option that reflects the most recent discharge from inpatient care captures this end point for the current inpatient episode.