Primary Care

Primary care is the initial point of contact between a patient and the healthcare system that provides individuals with access to the information and resources they need for optimal health outcomes.

What is Primary Care?

Primary care is the initial point of contact between a patient and the healthcare system that provides individuals with access to the information and resources they need for optimal health outcomes.

Choosing a Primary Care Provider

Benefits of Primary Care Intervention

Effective Communication in Primary Care Teams

Strategies to Improve Shortage of Primary Health Care

Benefits of Primary Health Care

Multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams

Latest Primary Care News and Research

Chile verified as leprosy free after decades of public health efforts

The World Health Organization (WHO), together with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), congratulates Chile for becoming the first country in the Americas – and the second globally – to be officially verified as having eliminated leprosy disease.

4 Mar 2026

Removing patient fees doubles digital healthcare consultations among young adults

Young adults are more likely to consume healthcare when it is available via healthcare apps, and even more so if they do not have to pay patient fees.

4 Mar 2026

New research on two million people quantifies how genetic risks overlap across diagnoses

A sweeping new peer-reviewed study published in Genomic Psychiatry has introduced a concept that could reshape how psychiatrists and geneticists think about mental illness: genetic specificity.

3 Mar 2026

Accelerating rare disease diagnosis with Mondo

Coryssa Barnes, of Henderson, N.C., welcomed her first child, Ezra, in 2020. At four months old, he was unable to sit without support. As time went on, he failed to reach other developmental milestones, prompting his worried parents to consult several medical experts.

2 Mar 2026

Refugee and immigrant children less likely to use emergency departments for minor illnesses

Refugee and immigrant children are less likely to visit the emergency department (ED) for minor illnesses (e.g., respiratory infections) compared to children born in Ontario, according to a new study from ICES and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

27 Feb 2026

Denmark achieves historic elimination of mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission

The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Denmark for the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis, recognizing the country's sustained commitment to ensuring every child is born free of these infections.

27 Feb 2026

He needs an expensive drug. A copay card helped — until it didn’t.

Over the course of 2025, Jayant Mishra of Mission Viejo, California, progressively developed scaly, itchy red patches on his skin. Then came the pain and swelling in the joints of his hands, making it difficult to do his work at a bank.

27 Feb 2026

Fifteen-year follow up reveals cure potential in follicular lymphoma

Unlike some other forms of lymphoma, advanced stage follicular lymphoma is considered incurable. But a new analysis of long-term data on patients treated for the disease years ago with standard regimens of immunotherapy and a chemotherapy combination known as CHOP suggests that many of those patients can now be considered cured.

26 Feb 2026

Polytherapy improves blood pressure control and survival in metastatic breast cancer

Women with metastatic breast cancer often face multiple chronic conditions, and high blood pressure is among the most common. Nearly half of women in this study population had hypertension at diagnosis, with even higher rates among Black and Hispanic patients.

26 Feb 2026

Telemedicine visits cost far less than in-person care

Telemedicine visits are five times less costly than in-person appointments for the most common conditions able to be treated by both forms of visits, new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania shows.

25 Feb 2026

Easy-to-use blood test score can help identify alcohol-related fatty liver disease

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine have developed a new, easy-to-use blood test score that can help identify when fatty liver disease is being driven by excessive alcohol use, an important distinction that often goes unrecognized in routine care.

25 Feb 2026

New poll links pet ownership to healthier aging

Taking a dog for a walk, cuddling a cat, watching fish glide through a tank, or just having a pet around may help many middle-aged and older adults with their health or well-being, a new poll finds.

23 Feb 2026

Study links team creativity to lower clinician burnout

A new study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health identifies team creativity as a powerful, measurable driver of well-being and effectiveness in primary care.

23 Feb 2026

As more Americans embrace anxiety treatment, MAHA derides medications

After a grueling year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation to treat breast cancer, Sadia Zapp was anxious — not the manageable hum that had long been part of her life, but something deeper, more distracting.

23 Feb 2026

NHS regions need to double GPs for safe staffing levels

Chronic GP shortages in England's NHS reveal deep regional disparities, with current staffing levels failing to meet rising patient demand and safety standards.

23 Feb 2026

High-cost rare disease drugs challenge Norwegian health priorities

New medical developments make it possible to treat an increasing number of severe and rare diseases with novel, high-cost pharmaceuticals.

19 Feb 2026

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing drives preventive care

23andMe Research Institute today announced the publication of a new study highlighting the positive health actions taken by people who learned of their risk through direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

18 Feb 2026

Canadian study reveals how COVID-19 lockdowns masked child maltreatment

Hospital admissions for maltreatment of children under the age of 2 years declined 31% during the 16-week lockdown at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, returning to prepandemic levels after restrictions lifted, according to new research published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

17 Feb 2026

Study reveals persistent gaps in child mental health access

A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute finds that mental health care gaps for U.S. children remain stark: one in five households reported a child needing treatment, yet nearly a quarter didn't receive it, and many who did still struggled to access care.

16 Feb 2026

Telehealth boosts uptake of genetic testing among adult survivors of childhood cancers

Adult survivors of childhood cancers are at higher risk for another cancer – such as breast, colorectal, sarcomas and thyroid cancer – that is not a relapse of their original illness.

13 Feb 2026