Primary care is the term for the health services which play a central role in the local community. It refers to the work of health care professionals who act as a first point of consultation for all patients. Such a professional would usually be a general practitioner or family physician, depending on locality. However, at the patient's discretion and according to their self-assessment of the seriousness of their ailment, they may opt to see another health care professional first, such as a pharmacist, or in some localities (such as the UK), a nurse. The advantage of this approach is that these professionals usually have immediately available access and do not require an appointment, though in many areas it is necessary to make an appointment to see a Practice Nurse. They may then refer either to a primary care physician or to secondary care.

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 all manner of acute and chronic physical, mental and social health issues, including multiple chronic diseases. Consequently, a primary care practitioner must possess a wide breadth of knowledge in many areas. Continuity is a key, desirable characteristic of primary care, as patients usually prefer to consult the same primary care doctor for routine check-ups, and every time they require an initial consultation about a new complaint. Collaboration among providers is a desirable characteristic of primary care.

Common chronic illnesses, usually treated in primary care, include:

• Hypertension, heart failure, and angina
• Diabetes
• Asthma and COPD
• Depression and anxiety
• Back pain
• Arthritis
• Thyroid dysfunction

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]

• ATC codes (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System)
• Classification of Pharmaco-Therapeutic Referrals (CPR)
• Direct primary care
• Health care provider
• Family medicine
• Family practice
• General practice
• ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases)
• International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC-2) / ICPC-2 PLUS
• Primary health care (PHC)
• Primary care physician
• Primary Health Organisation (New Zealand)
• Referral (medicine)
• Secondary care
• Tertiary care
• Quaternary care

• 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