primary care

American  

noun

1. medical care by a physician, or other healthcare professional, who is the patient's first contact with the healthcare system and who may recommend a specialist if necessary.

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Other Word Forms

• primary-care adjective

Etymology

Origin of primary care

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

His primary care doctor thought he had anxiety.

From The Wall Street Journal

Most were affiliated with the nearby hospital system Beebe Healthcare, including a nurse practitioner whom she sees for primary care and a gastroenterology office.

From The Wall Street Journal

“In California, access to specialists and primary care providers in rural areas is already extremely limited and is projected to worsen as physicians retire and these communities struggle to attract new doctors,” it said.

From Los Angeles Times

Those weaknesses include higher child poverty, more crowded housing and daycares, uneven access to primary care and a larger reservoir of chronic viral and bacterial infection.

From MarketWatch

Staff in social care settings and independent contractors in primary care settings, such as GP practices, are also being strongly encouraged to consider face coverings.

From BBC