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.

Benefits of Primary Care Intervention

Effective Communication in Primary Care Teams

Benefits of Primary Health Care

Multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams

Strategies to Improve Shortage of Primary Health Care

Choosing a Primary Care Provider

Latest Primary Care News and Research

New prostate cancer screening advances improve early detection

Did you know that about 1 in 8 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime? According to the American Cancer Society, it remains the second-leading cause of cancer death among American men.

6 Sep 2026

Early medical training could strengthen the primary care pipeline

A primary-care physician is hard to find. The thousands needed nationwide are even tougher to discover. A new paper led by a faculty member at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) points to why - and outlines strategies to boost recruitment, starting in undergraduate medical education.

4 Sep 2026

Early autism identification faces gaps beyond screening

A Pediatric Investigation study finds that early autism identification can fail after screening, with gaps in referral, diagnosis, service capacity, and support.

4 Sep 2026

Researchers found one childhood behavior linked to folic acid use before pregnancy

Researchers analyzed 646 children aged 2–8 years and their 563 mothers to examine whether maternal folic acid supplementation before conception was associated with childhood behavioral difficulties. Preconception supplementation was associated with a 34% lower risk of peer relationship problems, while no significant associations were found for total behavioral difficulties, emotional, conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, or prosocial problems.

1 Sep 2026

New guideline updates medications for preventing migraine in adults

To help clinicians determine which medications may be most effective at preventing migraine in adults, the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and American Headache Society (AHS) have issued a joint practice guideline update with evidence-based recommendations, published on August 31, 2026, in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, and in Headache, the official journal of the American Headache Society.

31 Aug 2026

Precision psychiatry aims to match schizophrenia patients with tailored medicines

Imagine watching a son or daughter begin college during a formative time in life, only to have schizophrenia suddenly alter their reality.

31 Aug 2026

New ASICA app helps melanoma survivors check their skin

Researchers behind an app designed to support people after skin cancer treatment are inviting former early-stage melanoma patients to take part in its final evaluation tests.

31 Aug 2026

New tool predicts heart failure treatment effects on blood pressure, kidney function and serum potassium

A new heart failure (HF) treatment effect calculator could help overcome one of the largest barriers to effective heart failure care by predicting the expected effects of treatment on blood pressure, kidney function and potassium levels.

31 Aug 2026

Blood pressure intervention lowers dementia risk in community-based trial

In a community-based trial in rural China, an intensive blood-pressure lowering intervention reduced the incidence of dementia compared with usual care, according to results from the China Rural Hypertension Control Program presented in a Hot Line session today at ESC Congress 2026.

30 Aug 2026

Digital registry strategy doubles heart failure treatment uptake

A registry-based digital strategy that identified untreated patients and invited them to a telephone consultation more than doubled implementation of an effective type of heart failure treatment.

29 Aug 2026

Updated consensus offers new roadmap for childhood bedwetting care

Nocturnal enuresis (NE) in school-age children is more than a nighttime inconvenience: when persistent, it can affect self-esteem, sleep, family life and social functioning.

28 Aug 2026

$New AI tool predicts hip fracture risk years ahead$

New AI tool predicts hip fracture risk years ahead

Preventing hip fractures depends on identifying people at high risk early. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have now developed a new clinical decision support tool that makes this possible-without requiring clinic visits or patient questionnaires.

27 Aug 2026

Overuse of short-acting bronchodilator linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and death

Overuse of reliever inhalers is associated with higher risks of developing and dying from cardiovascular disease, including heart failure, heart attack and ischemic stroke, in asthma and COPD patients, according to a study published today in ERJ Open Research.

27 Aug 2026

GLP-1 drugs may reshape obesity care, but clinicians still have questions

Interviews with 11 healthcare professionals in a UK specialist weight management service found generally positive attitudes toward injectable GLP-1 drugs, alongside limited formal training and uncertainty about how the medications should be integrated with behavioral care. Participants anticipated potential benefits for confidence and weight management but also raised concerns about treatment discontinuation, behavioral engagement, and evolving professional responsibilities.

26 Aug 2026

New UCSF center aims to improve eating disorder care

People with eating disorders wait an average of more than two-and-a-half years between the onset of symptoms and the start of treatment.

25 Aug 2026

Emergency diagnoses of medical conditions predict worse patient survival

Patients diagnosed with conditions after an emergency hospital admission or an emergency room visit face a higher risk of death than those diagnosed in non-emergency settings, according to a large population-based study by Emma Whitfield and colleagues from University College London, UK, published August 25th in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

25 Aug 2026

Type 2 diabetes incidence increases 10-fold among American youth

Type 2 diabetes has traditionally been a disease that has developed mostly in middle-aged and older adults.

24 Aug 2026

A two-year diet trial challenges the idea that weight loss is the only result that matters

In the two-year DELISH randomized trial, adults with obesity achieved modest, sustained weight loss with either an adapted Mediterranean-style program or a commercial weight loss program. The Mediterranean-style intervention produced greater improvements in self-reported diet quality, while 24-month weight loss did not materially differ between groups.

24 Aug 2026

Only 15% of eligible American adults discuss lung cancer screening with their doctors

Lung cancer screenings can save lives by detecting cancer in its early stages, but only 15% of eligible American adults have discussed the screening with their doctors, according to data analysis performed by University of Cincinnati Cancer Center researchers.

21 Aug 2026

London's Ultra Low Emission Zone delivers measurable lung health benefits for children

A landmark study of more than 3,400 children, led by Queen Mary University of London, has found that air quality improvements following the introduction of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) are strongly associated with accelerated lung growth in children.

18 Aug 2026