Primary care

Primary care is the everyday healthcare that people get from a health care provider. This provider is usually the first person a patient sees when they need help and helps coordinate any extra care they might need. Patients often see primary care from doctors like a general practitioner or family physician, but they might also see a physician assistant, physical therapist, or nurse practitioner.

In some places, other professionals like registered nurses, pharmacists, or traditional medicine practitioners can also give primary care. If a patient's health problem needs more specialized help, the primary care provider can refer them to secondary or tertiary care, which means getting help from other kinds of doctors or specialists.

Background

The World Health Organization says that primary care is a very important part of helping people stay healthy. Primary care has five main jobs: it is the first place people can go when they are sick, it keeps caring for people over time, it helps connect different health services, it offers many kinds of help, and it listens to what patients think and feel. Primary care tries to help everyone, no matter who they are, live better lives.

Primary care helps people of all ages with many different health problems, both big and small. Doctors who work in primary care need to know a lot about many health topics. It is nice when people can see the same doctor for check-ups and when they get sick. Working together with other health workers is also important in primary care.

Primary care doctors help treat common long-term illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and depression. They also give basic health care for mothers and children, like vaccinations. As more people get older, the need for primary care will grow in every country, whether it is rich or poor.

How primary care is paid for changes a lot between countries. Some places use taxes, some use special health insurance, and some ask patients to pay themselves. Doctors in primary care can be paid in different ways too.

Primary care by region

Canada

Main article: Health care in Canada

In Canada, everyone has access to healthcare thanks to the Canada Health Act.

Hong Kong

The government of Hong Kong has made plans to improve primary care services. They want to create an electronic database called the "Primary Care Guide" to help people find care. They also plan to set up health centers in different areas to provide basic medical services.

Nigeria

Main article: Healthcare in Nigeria

In Nigeria, local governments handle primary care, like clinics in communities. State governments manage bigger hospitals, and the federal government oversees special medical centers and teaching hospitals.

Poland

Poland has a basic primary care system. Doctors who offer primary care must register and can work in different settings, such as private clinics or public health centers. The system has been updated with new laws to improve services.

Russia

Further information: Healthcare in Russia

In Russia, primary healthcare is free and includes preventing illnesses, diagnosing and treating diseases, and helping people stay healthy. It is provided by different types of doctors, including general practitioners and specialists.

United Kingdom

Main article: General practice

In the United Kingdom, people usually see a general practitioner (GP) for most health issues. GPs help decide if patients need to see specialists in hospitals. Most of these services are free through the National Health Service.

United States

In the United States, there are several groups representing doctors who focus on primary care. There has been a growing need for more primary care doctors because of an aging population and more people with health insurance. Laws have been passed to help train more primary care doctors and use other healthcare workers, like nurse practitioners, to meet this demand. However, many primary care doctors earn less than specialists, which can make this career path less attractive.

Shared-decision making

Involving older patients

When older patients have many health problems, it is still being studied whether including them in decisions about their care helps. Some ways patients can be included are through workshops and one-on-one coaching. More research is needed to learn more about this.