The Essentials of Post Acute Care Determination for Rehabilitation Clinicians

Up to 40% of hospitalized adults will receive post-acute care (PAC) services upon discharge to address resolving medical conditions and/or rehabilitative recovery. Physiatrists and other rehabilitation professionals are often involved as consultants in the PAC determination process with a primary goal of identifying the most appropriate setting for each patient to optimize their rehabilitative and medical recuperation. To this end, the PAC consultant must utilize their rehabilitation expertise in conjunction with key evaluation criterion and an in depth understanding of the primary characteristics of each PAC setting option. This article provides a thorough review of these topics so that physiatrists and other rehabilitation consultants can assist the primary health care team in making an informed PAC decision to achieve the best outcome for each patient.