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Primary care may be provided in community health centres.

Primary care is a term used for the activity of a health care provider who acts as a first point of consultation for all patients. Continuity of care is also a key characteristic of primary care.

Primary care is an important form of health access for patients. Primary care involves the widest scope of health care including all ages of patients, patients of all socioeconomic and geographic origins, patients seeking to maintain optimal health, and patients with multiple chronic diseases. Common chronic illnesses include

• Hypertension
• Diabetes mellitus
• COPD
• Depression
• Back pain

A 2009 report by the New England Healthcare Institute determined that an increased demand on primary care by older, sicker patients and decreased supply of primary care practitioners has led to a crisis in primary care delivery. The research identified a set of innovations that could enhance the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of primary care in the United States.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Secondary care
• Tertiary care
• Quaternary care

• Direct primary care
• GOBI-FFF
• Primary Health Organisation

[edit] External links

• Defining Primary Care from Institute of Medicine IOM - Primary Care: America's Health in a New Era (1996)
• Primary Care Definitions from American Academy of Family Physicians AAFP
• Definition of Primary Care from American Medical Association AMA
• Defining primary health care Department of Health United Kingdom UK
• What is primary health care? Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) Australia
• Primary Care Diabetes Journal

[edit] References