Primary care 532491 224823532 2008-07-10T16:04:13Z 139.142.189.167 [[Image:JerichoHealthCentre20050326 CopyrightKaihsuTai.jpg|thumb|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. Generally, primary care [[physician]]s, [[nurse practitioner]]s, [[chiropractors]], physical therapipsts, and [[physician assistant]]s are based in the community, as opposed to the [[hospital]]. Alternative names for the field are "[[General practitioner|general practice]]" and "family medicine", although the terms are not synonymous. [[General practitioner]]s in the [[United Kingdom]] are physicians who have completed four to five years of post-medical school training including three to four years based in hospitals and one year attached to a training general practitioner in the community. Family medicine in the [[United States]] is a physician specialty that requires a minimum of three years of residency training followed by board certification. This specialty is considered the traditional general medicine specialty in the U.S. Examples of disorders managed in primary care are: * [[Diabetes mellitus]] * [[COPD]] * [[clinical depression|Depression]] * [[Back pain]] [[Primary care physician]]s mostly comprise [[family practice]], [[internal medicine]], and [[pediatrics]] physicians. Each of these fields is represented by separate [[Residency_(medicine)|residency]] programs that medical students enter upon completing their degree requirements. == See also == * [[Secondary care]] * [[Tertiary care]] * [[Quaternary care]] * [[World Organization of Family Doctors]] (Wonca) * [[International Classification of Primary Care]] (ICPC) * [[Health care systems]] * [[Direct primary care]] ==External links== *[http://books.nap.edu/books/0309053994/html/27.html Defining Primary Care] from Institute of Medicine IOM - Primary Care: America's Health in a New Era (1996) *[http://www.aafp.org/x6988.xml Primary Care] Definitions from American Academy of Family Physicians AAFP *[http://www.ama-assn.org/apps/pf_new/pf_online?f_n=browse&doc=policyfiles/HnE/H-200.969.HTM Definition of Primary Care] from American Medical Association AMA *[http://www.cre.gov.uk/gdpract/health_care_cop_def.html Defining primary health care] Department of Health United Kingdom UK *[http://www.amsant.com.au/amsant/what-is-primary-health-care.html What is primary health care?] Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory (AMSANT) Australia *[http://www.primary-care-diabetes.com/ ''Primary Care Diabetes'' Journal] [[Category:Primary care| ]] [[eo:primara prizorgo]] [[nl:Huisarts]] [[pt:Medicina de família e comunidade]]