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Primary health care is the first point of contact for patients with general practitioners who do not specialize in a particular ailment. They can manage most illnesses, but may refer patients to specialists if necessary. Patients without chronic conditions often have the closest relationship with their general practitioner.
Primary health care is a term applied to care initially provided by a general practitioner, such as a paediatrician, family doctor, general practitioner or internist. These doctors generally do not specialize in a particular type of ailment and are usually the first stop a patient will take after being struck by an illness or injury. This represents the patient’s primary healthcare provider, or first contact.
Many of the common ailments that patients develop can be managed by a primary care physician. For example, a simple ear infection can be easily diagnosed and treated by a general practitioner. If complications from such an infection develop, or if the patient has a history of ear infections that place them in a higher risk category for complications, a specialist may be called for treatment. Seeking a specialist is not uncommon, but the vast majority of illnesses can be managed through primary health care.
While primary health physicians do not specialize in any particular type of disease or injury, they may specialize in one category of patient. For example, a pediatrician will only deal with infants, children, and adolescents. An internist is a primary care physician who treats adults, often the elderly. A family doctor will generally treat patients of all ages. All represent types of primary care physicians.
If your primary care physician is unable to treat the situation, they will often refer you to a physician with specialized training. A person suffering from, or suspected of suffering from, cancer will likely receive a referral to an oncologist, for example. Those suffering from broken bones can consult an orthopedic doctor. In some cases, this is simply done as a precaution. Most physicians are trained to treat a simple fracture, but may feel more comfortable referring the patient to see an orthopedic physician. In other cases, the doctor’s malpractice insurance company may prevent that doctor from providing certain types of care or refuse to cover any damages resulting from that treatment.
In most cases, for people without chronic conditions, the general practitioner will be the one with whom the closest relationship is built. This is simply because this is the doctor who will be seen more than all the others. This familiarity can be especially helpful to the doctor, who will understand the patient’s history a little better than any other doctor. The primary care provider is also usually the cheapest for the patient.
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