1. the act or an instance of following up

2. something that follows up

3. maintenance of contact with or reexamination of a person (such as a patient) especially following treatment
The surgeon scheduled a follow-up with his patient a week after the surgery.

4. a news story presenting new information on a story published earlier
A few days after the story broke, the newspaper printed a follow-up.

5. of, relating to, or being something that follows up
follow-up action by the police
— Frank Faulkner had a few follow-up questions after the interview

6. done, conducted, or administered in the course of following up persons
follow-up care for discharged hospital patients

7. to follow with something similar, related, or supplementary
following up his convictions with action
— G. P. Merrill She followed up her first novel with a second one.

8. to maintain contact with (a person) so as to monitor the effects of earlier activities or treatments
All patients were followed up clinically for four months.

9. to pursue in an effort to take further action
the police are following up leads

10. to take appropriate action
follow up on complaints

11. something that continues or completes a process or activity

12. maintenance of contact with a patient at one or more designated intervals following diagnosis or treatment especially to examine again or monitor the progress of therapy also an instance of such contact
At three-month and six-month follow-ups, he had only mild, residual facial swelling on the lower left side.
— Meredith August et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 29 Dec. 2005

13. to maintain contact with (a patient) at one or more designated intervals following diagnosis or treatment especially to examine again or monitor the progress of therapy
patients who are followed up after their discharge She was discharged on postoperative day 4 and was followed up in the surgery clinic 19 days postoperatively.
— Steven L. Bloom et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 21 Oct. 2010