疫情之下，因病留院調理充滿無形壓力，有人甚至覺得如非必要都不想去醫院，令日間醫療中心變得炙手可熱！香港的日間醫療中心受法例規管，除了醫療設備、規格都能媲美住醫院外，亦提供與醫院同樣的一站式醫療服務，包括前期檢查及療程程序，由見醫生、抽血、驗血、造影檢查至手術都一應俱存，例如colonoscopy, gastroscopy, and surgeries like cataract surgery, and piles removal surgery etc. Most of the medical insurances on the market have covered the expenses in day procedure centres. Sometimes the insurance claims are even higher than those in private hospitals. This is why people are more willing to go to a day procedure centre.
Major differences between Day Procedure Centre and Hospital
Day Procedure Centres:
- 可進行簡單療程和手術
- Cheaper as all required procedures will be finished within the same day
- Everything is done on the same floor
- 方便病人覆診或後續療程
Hospital:
- 為嚴重事故、疾病和高風險程序進行療程，如骨折的手術
- 須安排入院進行不同的檢查和療程
- Have to go to different floors and divisions for different procedures
Clinics can only provide tests and consultation in one to two medical specialties while day procedure centres serve like a mini hospital with the equipment, standards, and some functions same as those in hospitals.
There is a misunderstanding that day procedure centres are the same as clinics that can only perform minor and simple surgeries. However, day procedures refer to the surgeries that do not require hospitalisation. The standards are the same with surgeries that require hospitalisation in terms of safeness and processes. It is relatively cheaper as the patients can be discharged on the same day and more beds can be reserved for those in need.
日間醫療中心為香港醫療界的新趨勢，而市面上大部份的醫療保險已覆蓋日間醫療服務。保險業聯會較早前亦指出日間醫療中心的賠償率更比私家醫院高，大眾可考慮於香港醫療中心進行日間手術，毋須入院。
