The primary care service is the first level of healthcare delivery, covering a range of prevention, wellness, and treatment for common illnesses. It includes general practice, community pharmacy, dental, and optometry (eye health) services.
Primary care is an essential and central element of a comprehensive healthcare system. It enables the efficient Doctor-Patient Relationship and cost-effective provision of a broad spectrum of healthcare services.
It focuses on the health needs of individuals, families, and communities at all stages of life, from childhood through old age. It also promotes health promotion and disease prevention, thereby reducing the demand for other levels of care.
Often called the front door of the healthcare system, primary care is essential for good health and reduces costs by avoiding hospitalisations or the need for secondary or tertiary care.
In the USA, racial and ethnic minorities tend to have lower access to regular primary care than white Americans, and they use hospitals more often as usual sources of care than private clinics. Ensuring more equitable access to primary care can help prevent disparities in self-rated health status and may lead to reductions in the number of people with serious chronic diseases requiring specialized treatments.
A critical element of primary care is continuity of care, which means patients receive care from the same provider for a long period of time. This can be achieved by establishing a relationship between patients and their primary care practitioners, which helps ensure a continuing flow of information about patient conditions and needs.
This is especially important in older populations, which often have more than one long-term condition. For this reason, some health systems and countries have attempted to increase the involvement of patients in decision-making about their own health.
In a well-functioning system, primary care clinicians will be the principal or co-principal clinician of inpatient care for many conditions, particularly those involving chronic and recurrent illnesses or disorders (e.g., diabetes). They will follow these patients during their stays, and they will make referrals for specialists as needed.
A Primary Care Doctor is responsible for coordinating the transition of a patient from hospital to home, and between other healthcare settings. In this capacity, they also bring knowledge about a patient's family history, social perspectives, and the context of a patient's problems to bear on the episode of care.
Their role in this respect varies according to the type of care being provided and the degree of complexity of the illness or injury. Some primary care practitioners are solely dedicated to this function, while others may be part of a team or other integrated delivery system that includes other physicians and allied healthcare professionals.
It is important for the committee to adopt a common definition of primary care so that all relevant parties in the health system, including professional organizations, professional associations, and academic health centers, can identify the core functions and priorities of this field of service. This will facilitate clarity in planning and delivering programs, improving policy debate, and evaluating research. This post will help you understand the topic even better: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care.