Primary Health Care
What is Primary Care?
“Primary” means the first and longest lasting health-care relationship to keep people healthy. It’s the regular care people receive to prevent more serious or urgent health problems. It’s the care received through regular visits with care providers in a clinic – care that can help prevent visits to the hospital.
Many people think of primary care as typically provided by family doctors, but it can include nurses, midwives, dietitians, pharmacists, mental health professionals, therapists and others.
Primary care services lead to:
- less need for hospital and emergency department visits
- safer care
- more satisfied patients
- lower health care costs
Benefits of Primary Health Care:
• Access to health care is fast and easy.
• Ongoing care from someone who knows you and your health needs.
• Early treatment of health concerns before they begin to affect quality of life.
• Reduced reliance on hospital and emergency department visits.
• Health-care information is accessible to care providers when needed in one place contributing to better and safer care.
Benefits of Primary Health Care:
• Access to health care is fast and easy.
• Ongoing care from someone who knows you and your health needs.
• Early treatment of health concerns before they begin to affect quality of life.
• Reduced reliance on hospital and emergency department visits.
• Health-care information is accessible to care providers when needed in one place contributing to better and safer care.
