An inpatient is a patient formally admitted to a hospital for care requiring at least one overnight stay, as distinct from outpatients who receive treatment and return home the same day. Inpatient care includes medical and surgical treatment requiring ongoing monitoring, recovery from major procedures, management of acute conditions, and care for patients too ill to be safely treated at home. Inpatient stays vary from overnight observation to weeks or months for serious conditions. Hospital beds, nursing care, medications, and related services during inpatient stays are covered by provincial health insurance in Canada. Inpatient capacity is a key healthcare planning metric—available beds must match community needs, though capacity pressures are common. "Alternate Level of Care" (ALC) patients who no longer need acute care but cannot be discharged due to lack of community supports occupy beds needed for new inpatients. Reducing unnecessary inpatient stays through enhanced community care is a healthcare system priority.