What term describes a patient who is admitted to the hospital for 24 hours or more?

The term that describes a patient who is admitted to the hospital for 24 hours or more is "inpatient." Inpatient care involves a patient being formally admitted to a healthcare facility where they receive continuous care that typically requires an overnight stay. This level of care is necessary for patients needing more intensive services, monitoring, or treatment that can't be provided on an outpatient basis, which refers to patients who receive medical care without being admitted to a hospital.

The other terms do not accurately reflect this classification. "Outpatient" refers to patients who receive care without being admitted, typically for procedures or treatments that do not require an overnight stay. "Consultation" refers to the process of seeking expert advice from a specialist, rather than the status of a patient's admission. "Fiscal Intermediary" pertains to organizations involved in the processing of claims and payments for healthcare services, and it does not relate to patient admission status.