California Code of Regulations
Title 22 - Social Security
Division 5 - Licensing and Certification of Health Facilities, Home Health Agencies, Clinics, and Referral Agencies
Chapter 1 - General Acute Care Hospitals
Article 1 - Definitions
Section 70053 - Patient

(1) An inpatient means a person who has been formally admitted for observation, diagnosis or treatment and who is expected to remain overnight or longer.

(2) An outpatient means a person who has been registered or accepted for care but not formally admitted as an inpatient and who does not remain over 24 hours.

(3) Ambulatory patient means a patient who is capable of demonstrating the mental competence and physical ability to leave a building under emergency conditions without assistance or supervision of any person.

(4) Nonambulatory patient means a patient who is unable to leave a building unassisted under emergency conditions. It includes, but is not limited to, those persons who depend upon mechanical aids such as crutches, walkers or wheelchairs, profoundly or severely mentally retarded persons and shall include blind and totally deaf persons.