> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://aftercaredocs.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart: From Discharge Summary to Recovery Plan

> Create an AfterCare account, upload your discharge summary, and open your recovery guide — medications, appointments, and warning signs included.

This guide walks you through the complete onboarding flow from creating your account to reading your finished recovery plan. The whole process takes under five minutes once your document is ready.

<Tip>
  AfterCare runs in **local mode** with no account required. When no backend is configured, everything stays in your browser — your guide fills in as soon as a backend is connected. This means you can explore the app on any device without signing up first.
</Tip>

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Go to [aftercare-web-eta.vercel.app](https://aftercare-web-eta.vercel.app). On the home page you will see a sign-up form. Enter your email address and choose a password, then submit the form.

    If you already have an account, sign in with the same form — AfterCare detects whether your email is new or returning and handles both cases automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload your discharge summary">
    After signing in, select **Add a document** or navigate to the Upload screen from the bottom navigation bar.

    You have three options for adding your paperwork:

    * **Choose PDF files** — select one or more PDF files from your device.
    * **Take or upload photos** — photograph the pages with your phone camera, or pick existing photos from your library. AfterCare accepts multiple images as a single batch.
    * **Connect from Google Drive** — if Google Drive is configured, pick a file directly from your Drive without downloading it first.

    You can add as many files as you need in one go. If one file in a batch fails, the rest continue processing and AfterCare tells you which file had a problem.

    <Warning>
      Upload the complete discharge summary rather than individual pages where possible. AfterCare links information across sections — for example, matching a warning sign to the medication that causes it — and works best with the full document.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    After you submit your files, AfterCare takes you to the Processing screen. A progress bar tracks each stage as it runs:

    1. Reading the text on your document
    2. Sorting it into sections
    3. Finding your medications
    4. Finding your appointments
    5. Finding your warning signs
    6. Building your recovery timeline
    7. Explaining the medical terms
    8. Double-checking every detail

    Each stage updates in real time. If you refresh or navigate away, the progress bar picks up from where it left off — you will not lose your place or restart processing.

    <Info>
      Processing time depends on document length and the complexity of the text. Most discharge summaries complete in under two minutes.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open your recovery guide on the Dashboard">
    When processing finishes, the Processing screen shows a link to your guide. Select **Open my guide** or navigate to the Dashboard from the bottom bar.

    Your Dashboard brings together everything AfterCare extracted:

    * A **Today** view showing medications due today and your current recovery step
    * A full **Medications** list with doses, timing, and instructions
    * An **Appointments** list with providers, locations, and dates
    * An **Emergency signs** screen with the warning signs from your document
    * A **Daily check-in** to log how you are feeling
    * **Plain-language explanations** of medical terms found in your paperwork

    Every item shows a confidence indicator. Items below the confidence threshold are marked for you to verify in the original document rather than presented as settled fact.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Medications" icon="pills" href="/features/medications">
    Understand how AfterCare structures your medication schedule and what each field in the medications list means.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Appointments" icon="calendar-check" href="/features/appointments">
    Learn how follow-up appointments are extracted and how to add them to your calendar.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.