Following hospitalization, the next stage of care for the patient is called post-acute care. Patients typically require further medical care to support their recovery from illness or injury and are monitored for any further developments. The floor that the patient is sent to is completely left up to the discretion of the intensivist or hospitalist.
The hospitalist is mainly responsible for the patient until his or her discharge from the hospital. If any specialists participated on the case while a patient was in the acute setting, they continue on the case as long as the hospitalist feels is necessary. It is left to the hospitalist’s discretion whether or not to have the specialist follow up with the patient in the outpatient (outside the hospital) setting.