primary care

noun

: health care provided by a medical professional (such as a general practitioner, pediatrician, or nurse) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist

—often used before another noun

a primary care physician

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care

Examples of primary care in a Sentence

He provides primary care to inner-city patients.

Recent Examples on the Web

One solution to this is to ensure that historical records of past ER visits are readily available whenever these cases show up, and to have senior staff confer with junior staff about how to manage patients with chronic somatization by sending them to a primary care provider. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 7 June 2024

The future facility, Sutter Health said, would house Sutter Health Medical Group physicians and provide services such as primary care, urgent care and specialists. —Vincent Medina, Sacramento Bee, 5 June 2024

Her primary care doctor ordered her to take two weeks off to recuperate. —Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2024

These include a person’s income level, types of food and groceries available in the neighborhood, access to primary care providers and specialists, and a wide variety of other social determinants of health. —Discover Magazine, 31 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

primary care

noun

: health care provided by a medical professional (as a general practitioner or a pediatrician) with whom a patient has initial contact and by whom the patient may be referred to a specialist for further treatment

—often used attributively

primary care physicians

primary care practice

primary care medicine

called also primary health care

compare secondary care, tertiary care