Postcare

Postcare refers to the care and support provided after a medical treatment, procedure, injury, or hospitalization to promote recovery, reduce complications, and facilitate return to normal activities. It covers a range of activities from short-term inpatient monitoring to longer-term home-based support, and is often integrated with discharge planning and transitional care.

Core elements include monitoring vital signs and wound status, infection prevention, pain management, medication reconciliation, and instructions on activity restrictions and wound care. Additional components commonly addressed are rehabilitation or physical therapy, nutrition and hydration guidance, sleep and stress management, psychosocial support, and patient or caregiver education to recognize warning signs.

Delivery settings vary and may include in-hospital observation after procedures, ambulatory follow-up clinics, home health visits, telemedicine check-ins, or coordinated community-based services. Key practices include clear written discharge instructions, scheduling and confirming follow-up appointments, ensuring continuity of care with primary care or specialists, and using risk assessments to identify patients at higher risk of complications.

Postcare is closely linked to post-acute care and transitional care programs and may involve multidisciplinary teams. Outcomes include reduced readmission rates, improved wound healing and functional recovery, and higher patient satisfaction, though effectiveness depends on patient health literacy, access to services, and social determinants.

Examples of contexts include postoperative care, obstetric and neonatal postnatal support, dental aftercare, and mental health stabilization following acute events. See also post-acute care, discharge planning, aftercare.