The post-acute care market is expected to grow from US$ 715.19 billion in 2022 to US$ 1,186.29 billion by 2030; it is anticipated to record a CAGR of 6.5% from 2022 to 2030.

Post-acute care facilities provide services to patients to help them achieve their strength and return home. Patients receive these services after hospitalization for injury, illness, or surgery. In response, hospitals have started developing strategic partnerships with post-acute care facilities. Post-acute care encompasses a broad range of services the patient gets after hospitalization. Sometimes, these services are provided as an alternative to acute care hospitalization, depending upon the type of disease or injury. It could include a stay in an acute care facility, home health care, or continuous outpatient therapy. It all depends upon the seriousness of the disease.

Inclination Toward Home Healthcare in Developing Countries Acts as a Trend for Post-Acute Care Market Growth

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines home-based care as a series of services provided to people in their homes, which include psychosocial, physical, or palliative care activities. A shift from long-term facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, and skilled nursing facilities to home care settings results in greater chances of better, consistent, and timely interaction between patient and doctor owing to the growing prominence of cloud and mobility-driven medical devices. The COVID-19 crisis has triggered the importance of AI in healthcare due to limited hospital bed capacity and a scarcity of skilled healthcare professionals, which further emphasizes home-based care. By monitoring the patient's vitals remotely, healthcare professionals can avoid admissions to healthcare facilities. If the cases can be handled virtually, beds are reserved only for patients requiring critical care, which allows hospital administrations to manage their resources more effectively. Home care entails a wide range of post-acute care services within the patient's home, including skilled nursing care for wounds, injections, or IV nutrition therapy. It also encompasses physical, occupational, and speech therapies.

In developing countries, the number of patients receiving home therapy has been limited in the past. Although hospitals have rapidly adopted smart devices integrated with features such as electronic health records (EHR) integration and medication safety software, the majority of home service providers continue to use traditional devices. However, these countries are focused on improving their healthcare infrastructure and services, which is encouraging the healthcare sector to upgrade their offerings. Moreover, significant investments in research and development play a key role in the technological upgrading of products and services in emerging countries. With the increasing availability of such advanced medical offerings, their use is likely to rise in the homecare settings in these countries in the future. Thus, the growing preference for home healthcare is emerging as a beneficial trend in the post-acute care market.

The healthcare sector is witnessing rapid advancements in healthcare-related technologies that are changing the course of wellness and health, making this sector more secure and prompt. Remote patient monitoring and continuous monitoring devices allow healthcare professionals to keep track of their patient's condition and detect exacerbation through uninterrupted tracking. Smart pills or digital pills coupled with smart patches can be used as monitoring devices in post-acute care, which can record whether the patients have taken their medication and at what time. With the help of monitoring devices, post-acute care facilities can keep track of every treatment-related activity of a patient. People who have dementia tend to wander around their dwelling place or in care facilities, and they can be tracked easily using monitoring devices. Virtual reality-enabled (VR-enabled) solutions can be used for resident engagement. The use of these solutions in memory care units helps calm patients and decrease the use of anti-anxiety medications. They can also help caregivers to be more empathetic toward their patients. Patients coming from a hospital are accustomed to constant access to doctors, which is difficult outside the acute care setting. Telehealth platforms grant instantaneous access to medical professionals.

Standardizing the use of electronic medical records (EMRs) across post-acute care facilities can make managing the patients within these facilities much easier. Standardized EMRs allow the sharing of information between facilities, staff, and providers, creating greater organizational flexibility while responding to the needs of the patients. Thus, the growing focus on the use of contact-free continuous monitoring devices, boosting the speed and comfort of rehabilitation, use of telehealth for immediate consultation with the patient's doctor, and adoption of EMRs to keep proper records of patient medication are expected to create opportunities for post-acute care market in the coming years.

The post-acute care market is divided on the basis of service type, age, disease condition, and geography. The post-acute care market, by service type, is segmented into skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care hospitals, home health agencies, and others. The post-acute care market, by age, is segmented into the elderly, adults, and others. The post-acute care market, by disease conditions, is segmented into amputations, wound management, brain and spinal cord injury, neurological diseases, and others.

Based on geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East & Africa, and South & Central America. North America held the largest market share of the post-acute care market. North America held the largest share of the global post-acute care market in 2022 owing to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as amputations, cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, and others, which is increasing the need for post-acute care and funding from strategic and private equity investors. In addition, many market players are expanding their geographical footprint in North American countries. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases primarily drives the post-acute care market in the US, the rising geriatric population, and the growing number of product launches by key players. Aging is a prominent risk factor for chronic diseases, as people above 60 generally have compromised immunity. According to a study published by the Population Reference Bureau in 2020, the population of individuals aged 65 and above was 55 million in the US in 2020, and the number is expected to reach 95 million by 2060. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 735,000 Americans have a heart attack every year, out of which 525,000 patients have had a first heart attack while 210,000 patients have already had a heart attack in the past. According to the US Census Bureau, 2.5 million people in the US over the age of 75 suffer from aortic stenosis, accounting for 12.4% of the population over 75 years of age. According to an article published in the American Heart Association's journal, mitral regurgitation is the most frequent valve disease in the US. It affects nearly 1 in 10 people who are 75 years or older. There is a high demand for post-acute care services in patients with cardiovascular diseases and the geriatric population in the US, driving the market in the country.

ClinicalTrails.com, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and Dubai Health Authority (DHA) are a few key primary and secondary sources referred to while preparing the report on the post-acute care market.