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

Arnold, a primary care physician, runs through the schedule. —Elissa Nadworny, NPR, 21 June 2024

Studies have shown that patients who received social prescriptions felt less lonely and more connected—and as a result decreased their use of primary care services. —Kasley Killam, Fortune, 18 June 2024

The test is a nasal swab that can be done at a primary care office, pharmacy, urgent care or hospital. —Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 13 June 2024

What happened with Trump’s trials in January Where are the nation’s primary care providers? —Hartford Courant, 13 June 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