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

See Examples For:

primary care

Venezuelan medical students, doctors and veterinarians are offering primary care out of a McDonald’s that was among the few buildings left intact after the quakes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

For example, a study published in 2004 calculated that doctors trained in epidemiology would need an impossible 29 hours per weekday to be fully up on all the latest research in primary care.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 27, 2026

For the most part, the system already had the endocrinologists, nephrologists and primary care physicians it needed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 14, 2026

Despite being classed as a minor road, Turner Road is home to Colchester's hospital and a primary care centre.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

We’ve had people come in saying they want to sue some specialist, and we’ll say, ‘We don’t think that doctor was negligent. We think it’s your primary care doctor who was at fault.’

From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell