Introduction

Primary care is the day-to-day healthcare given by a health care provider. Typically this provider acts as the first contact and principal point of continuing care for patients within a healthcare system, and coordinates other specialist care that the patient may need. Patients commonly receive primary care from professionals such as a primary care physician (general practitioner or family physician), a physician assistant, or a nurse practitioner. In some localities, such a professional may be a registered nurse, a pharmacist, a clinical officer (as in parts of Africa), or an Ayurvedic or other traditional medicine professional (as in parts of Asia). Depending on the nature of the health condition, patients may then be referred for secondary or tertiary care.

Primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by physicians and their health care teams who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. The care is person-centered, team-based, community-aligned, and designed to achieve better health, better care, and lower costs.

Primary care physicians specifically are trained for and skilled in comprehensive, first contact, and continuing care for persons with any undiagnosed sign, symptom, or health concern (the “undifferentiated” patient) not limited by problem origin (biological, behavioral, or social), organ system, or diagnosis. Additionally, primary care includes health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of health care settings (e.g., office, inpatient, critical care, long-term care, home care, schools, telehealth, etc.). Primary care is performed and managed by a personal physician who often collaborates with other health professionals, and utilizes consultation or referral as appropriate. Primary care provides patient advocacy in the health care system to accomplish cost-effective and equitable care by coordination of health care services. Primary care promotes effective communication with patients and families to encourage them to be a partner in health care.

Primary care practice

A primary care practice serves as the patient's entry point into the health care system and as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services. Primary care practices provide patients with ready access to their own personal physician and health care team.  It includes care that is: Person and family-oriented, continuous, comprehensive and equitable, team-based and collaborative, coordinated and integrated, accessible, and high value.

Primary care practices meet the needs of patients with differentiated and undifferentiated problems and manage the vast majority of patients' concerns. Primary care practices are generally located in the community they serve, thereby facilitating access to health care while maintaining a wide variety of specialty and institutional consultative and referral relationships for specific care needs. The primary care practice structure often includes a team of physicians and other health professionals. Nobody wants to feel like a number in a vast, impersonal system especially when it comes to something as important as taking care of your health.

Journal of Healthcare Communications is a journal publishes Quarterly in English language. We welcome original research articles, review articles, editorials, case reports, and others from any part of the world. Manuscripts are reviewed by members of the international editorial board and our expert peer reviewers, then either accepted for publication or rejected by the chief editor. Shorter articles are particularly welcome.

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