primary care

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.

Other Word Forms

• primary-care adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of primary care¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The project was carried out in over 100 primary care centers within Spain's National Health System.

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The tools for a healthy, dementia-free future exist: blood pressure control, appropriate statin and other therapy, smoking prevention and cessation support, and comprehensive primary care focused on prevention.

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The DIY health trend brings risks like relying on diagnostic and treatment information that hasn’t been reviewed by a clinician, says Dr. Tom Delbanco, a professor at Harvard Medical School whose focus is primary care.

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Many practices offer more-comprehensive primary care and streamline patients’ access to outside specialists.

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Some 5% of primary care physicians have moved to this model, Robertson say.

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