Hospital papers
What Is a Follow-Up Appointment?
Follow-up appointment · say it: FOL-oh-up uh-POINT-mentAlso written: follow-up, review appointment, outpatient review, F/U
Short answer
A follow-up appointment is a planned visit after a test, treatment or hospital stay to check progress and decide next steps.
What it means
After a test, procedure, new medicine or hospital stay, a doctor or nurse often wants to see you again. This is a follow-up appointment.
It might be with your family doctor, a specialist, a nurse, or done by phone or video. It is often used to go over results, check how treatment is working, and plan what happens next.
Reports and letters may write something like "F/U in 6 weeks" or "review in clinic".
Where you may see it
- Discharge summaries
- Clinic letters and test result letters
- Patient portals and appointment booking systems
📄 How it looks on a report
F/U in respiratory clinic in 6 weeks with repeat chest X-ray.
🙅 What it does not mean
- A follow-up appointment does not mean something is wrong. It is often routine.
- It is not always booked automatically. Ask who arranges it.
- You do not have to wait for it if you feel worse. Contact your doctor sooner.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
🧾 Reports where you will see “Follow-up appointment”
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💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Follow-up appointment”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Ampicillin Sodium
a penicillin-type antibacterial medicine
- Divalproex Sodium
An anti-epileptic (anti-seizure) drug of the valproate type. The label also uses it to treat manic episodes of bipolar disorder and to prevent migraine headaches.
- Ivermectin
An antiparasitic medicine, sometimes called a worm-killing medicine (anthelmintic), that the FDA lists as an antiparasitic and pediculicide
- Lamivudine
An antiviral medicine of the nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor type, used here for hepatitis B
- Levetiracetam
An antiepileptic medicine, meaning a medicine used to treat seizures
- Pantoprazole
a proton pump inhibitor (PPI), a medicine that reduces the amount of acid the stomach makes
- Sertraline
An SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), a type of antidepressant medicine, according to the label
- Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate
A nucleotide analog medicine. The label calls it an HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitor and an HBV reverse transcriptase inhibitor. The FDA class is not listed.
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Follow-up appointment” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
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More words: hospital papers
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.