What is Primary Care?

A primary physician practices Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, or General Pediatrics in the community and is frequently the first contact for patients. They care for patients over their lifespan (longitudinal care). A primary care physician evaluates, diagnoses, and treats patients presenting with symptoms and signs of disease, provides preventive care (mammograms, pap smears, vaccines), and manages chronic and acute illnesses.

In contrast, a specialty physician trains to develop a deep understanding of specific systems and their interactions and impact on health and disease states. Ex: Endocrinology, orthopedic surgery, cardiology, psychiatry, etc.

What about care for hospitalized patients? Is that primary care? A primary care physician can care for patients in the community, the hospital, and various settings. A physician who exclusively practices hospital-based medicine with no outpatient practice is referred to as a hospitalist. This practice model is not considered “ambulatory-based” primary care. While internists, pediatricians, and family medicine physicians may choose to be hospitalists, many specialties provide hospital-based practice models.