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

The law also enables people to spend HSA dollars on monthly or annual fees for direct primary care.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026

She’s prescribed semaglutide for weight loss by her primary care physician, but six months later, she is nauseated most mornings, bloated after small meals, and losing an amount of weight she didn’t intend to lose.

From Slate • Mar. 22, 2026

Fewer than half of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis are referred to exercise programs or physical therapy by their primary care provider.

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

He said that as more residents gained access to primary care, utilization at some county-run clinics declined.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 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