In semantics, the patient is the passive part of a process.
A patient is the name given to any person who
is ill or injured and is being treated by, or in need of treatment
by, a physician or other medical professional.
Health consumer or health care consumer is
another name for patient, usually used by some governmental
agencies, insurance companies, and/or patient groups.
In the case of a terminal patient, death is
approaching, and no treatment aimed at curing is available,
just palliative care.
The word patient is derived from the Latin
pati meaning "to suffer".
