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Healthcare Management vocabulary · Health Systems and Governance

Primary care

Meaning in healthcare management, with examples

nounCore term

In healthcare management, primary care means: The first point of contact with the health system, such as family doctors and local health centres, which deals with common problems, prevention and referrals.

In Turkish: birinci basamak sağlık hizmetleri, birinci basamak

How it is used

Contrasted with secondary and tertiary care. Policy papers discuss strengthening primary care to take pressure off hospitals. In the UK primary care means mainly GP practices; in Turkey it means mainly family health centres.

Example sentences

  1. Many emergency visits could be handled in primary care if appointments were easier to get.

  2. The ministry plans to move more chronic disease follow-up into primary care.

Common collocations

  • primary care services
  • primary care physician
  • access to primary care
  • strengthen primary care
  • secondary careSpecialist medical care, usually given in a general hospital, that patients receive after a referral or in an emergency.
  • tertiary careHighly specialised care, such as heart surgery, transplants or complex cancer treatment, given in large hospitals with expert staff and advanced equipment.
  • referralThe act of sending a patient to another doctor, specialist, service or hospital for further assessment or treatment, or the letter or request that does this.
  • capitationA payment method in which a provider receives a fixed amount for each registered person over a period, whether or not that person uses any care.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Health Systems and Governance

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.