Primary Care definition

[corona 247]

I wanted to ask all of you how you would define Primary Care. I am interviewing at a few DO schools in the next few weeks, and heard that this was a typical ques. asked.

I know what the fields of primary are ( family, ob/gun, internal, psy) but not really what makes them Primary.

Thanks for your help!

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[flighterdoc]

Originally posted by corona 247
I wanted to ask all of you how you would define Primary Care. I am interviewing at a few DO schools in the next few weeks, and heard that this was a typical ques. asked.

I know what the fields of primary are ( family, ob/gun, internal, psy) but not really what makes them Primary.

Thanks for your help!

Two words: Marcus Welby!

 

[Dr JPH]

Primary care are those specialties that a patient would seek in order to primarily treat or identify their problem or illness (or in the case of OB, their pregnancy).

For instance...you have pneumonia...you don't go see a pulmonologist, you would see your family doc first who, if necessary, would refer you to a specialist.

Primary care physicians are the backbone of medicine and without them other specialties would not exist as they are. Each specialty is really a branch off of primary care in some way or another.

The tradional "primary care" specialties are : Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and OB/GYN. Some argue that Emergency Medicine should be included in that list due to the fact that many EM docs are the "primary" source of medical care for a large percentage of the population.

 

[LeemerDO]

Originally posted by JPHazelton
Primary care are those specialties that a patient would seek in order to primarily treat or identify their problem or illness (or in the case of OB, their pregnancy).

For instance...you have pneumonia...you don't go see a pulmonologist, you would see your family doc first who, if necessary, would refer you to a specialist.

Primary care physicians are the backbone of medicine and without them other specialties would not exist as they are. Each specialty is really a branch off of primary care in some way or another.

The tradional "primary care" specialties are : Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and OB/GYN. Some argue that Emergency Medicine should be included in that list due to the fact that many EM docs are the "primary" source of medical care for a large percentage of the population.

I wholeheartedly agree that Emergency Medicine should definitely be considered primary care. These docs are essentially where the rubber meets the road in regards to addressing the healthcare needs of a community. I still don't understand why people think that it's a specialty all to its own. They still need to be knowledgable about every possible disease and accident to walk through the door along with a solution, something I'm sure few specialists would have the luxury of having. Besides, I'm sure a good chunk of patients that are in hospitals most likely were seen by an ER doc first. Doesn't get more "Primary" than that.

 

[Dr JPH]

Originally posted by LeemerDO
I wholeheartedly agree that Emergency Medicine should definitely be considered primary care. These docs are essentially where the rubber meets the road in regards to addressing the healthcare needs of a community. I still don't understand why people think that it's a specialty all to its own. They still need to be knowledgable about every possible disease and accident to walk through the door along with a solution, something I'm sure few specialists would have the luxury of having. Besides, I'm sure a good chunk of patients that are in hospitals most likely were seen by an ER doc first. Doesn't get more "Primary" than that.

Yep.