Distinction between Primary Care and Specialty Care

Distinction between Primary Care and Specialty Care. There are several major distinctions between primary care and specialty care. First, primary care is the first point of contact with patients. Patients are first diagnosed and treated by primary care providers. Patients are only referred to specialty care providers if the patient is diagnosed with a medical condition outside the specialty of primary care providers. Second, primary care providers are gatekeepers in a managed health care system. This promotes the efficient use of resources where medical conditions are cascaded along the treatment chain by their complexity. It is a waste of resources to refer patients back and forth between primary care providers and specialty care providers which is the case when patients do not first report to primary care providers. Third, primary care providers are longitudinal in their operations. That is, primary care providers coordinate several activities from diagnosis and treatment to follow up. Primary care providers are also helpful in cases where a patient is suffering from a chronic condition since the primary care providers are often available to provide medical assistance to the patients along their journey when dealing with the chronic condition. In contrast, specialty care providers provide medical assistance to patients on per episode basis. The care is often rigorous after which the patient can continue visiting a primary care provider for medical assistance. Primary care providers also focus on the body of the patient as a whole.

That is, primary care providers are handy when a patient is suffering from comorbidity. Comorbidity is a medical condition where a patient is suffering from multiple diseases. Conversely, specialty care providers tend to be specific where they concern themselves will a particular area of the body that may be ailing. Lastly, primary care differs from specialty care on the training of the medical professionals. Primary care providers are mostly trained in ambulatory care facilities while specialty care providers are mostly trained in inpatient medical facilities.
Reference
Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2014). Delivering health care in America. Jones & Bartlett Learning.