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

Benefits of Primary Health Care

Effective Communication in Primary Care Teams

Multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams

Choosing a Primary Care Provider

Strategies to Improve Shortage of Primary Health Care

Latest Primary Care News and Research

An Arm and a Leg: A few more good things from 2025

An Arm and a Leg host Dan Weissmann breaks down how two states passed laws aimed at protecting people from things like medical debt, insurance delays and denials, and corporate profiteering.

23 Dec 2025

Access barriers keep Black and low-income patients out of genetics clinics

Black patients and patients from socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are dramatically under-represented in genetics clinics-often at rates half or less than those of White patients or individuals from wealthier areas-according to researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts General Hospital.

19 Dec 2025

Oral health gains global recognition in WHO NCD declaration

The European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) welcomes the adoption of the WHO political declaration on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health at the Eightieth United Nations General Assembly, recognizing it as a major step forward for integrated, people-centred health systems.

19 Dec 2025

Early peanut introduction can prevent allergy but parents need clearer guidance

Feeding babies peanut-containing foods as early as possible can help prevent peanut allergy, but a new study published in JAMA Network Open found that parents need more support to get it right.

18 Dec 2025

Hybrid care improves access to primary care in rural Ontario

Hybrid health options are an underdeveloped, key tool for improving access to primary care in Ontario's remote communities, with a new University of Ottawa study highlighting the positive impact of in-person mixed with virtual care options have in rural regions.

18 Dec 2025

AI-assisted evaluations can speed autism diagnosis

Access to autism evaluations through specialty health care is notorious for long wait times across the United States.

18 Dec 2025

Many women suffer in silence from treatable pelvic floor conditions

Many women assume pelvic floor health issues are simply their fate—part of having vaginal deliveries, getting older, gaining weight or entering menopause. Perhaps they have watched their mothers and grandmothers live with symptoms, such as urinary incontinence and pain.

17 Dec 2025

Chronic breathlessness drives longer hospital stays and higher healthcare costs

Chronic breathlessness, a symptom often overlooked by healthcare systems, is associated with longer lengths of hospital stay on already overstretched healthcare resources, says new Flinders University research.

16 Dec 2025

Rapid adoption of AI in primary care raises safety concerns

From digital scribes to ChatGPT, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly entering GP clinics. New University of Sydney research warns that technology is racing ahead of safety checks, putting patients and health systems at risk.

16 Dec 2025

First multimodal medical dataset launched to capture patient-clinician interactions

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have launched Observer, the first multimodal medical dataset to capture anonymized, real-time interactions between patients and clinicians.

16 Dec 2025

A new trial investigates whether the MIND diet can be scaled for obesity management

This study protocol outlines a 12-week randomized trial testing whether a MIND diet intervention is feasible, acceptable, and sustainable for adults with obesity in Sweden. It will generate preliminary evidence on adherence, mental well-being, and gut microbiota changes to inform larger efficacy trials.

14 Dec 2025

Pediatric critical care survivors often lack prompt primary care follow up

When the unthinkable happens and a child is left critically ill or injured, the miracle workers in pediatric intensive care units around the country work tirelessly to save their lives.

12 Dec 2025

Advance care planning improves with automated patient outreach strategies

A strategy for advance care planning (ACP) that included automated outreach from staff who contacted patients to offer assistance significantly boosted the number of patients who completed documentation outlining their wishes in times of serious illness, new research finds.

11 Dec 2025

Study finds dramatic increase in ADHD medication use

Annual prescriptions for drugs to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased 157 percent in Ontario from 2015 to 2023, according to a new study from researchers at ICES, North York General, and The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids).

11 Dec 2025

New CDC grant supports expansion of colorectal cancer screening across rural Pennsylvania

Increasing colorectal cancer screening rates among communities with the greatest need is the goal of a five-year, $4.2 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Penn State College of Medicine.

11 Dec 2025

Frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption influence cancer risk

As Americans gear up for the holiday season, new research offers a timely reminder to reflect on the long-term health effects of raising a celebratory glass – or two.

11 Dec 2025

Simple blood and urine tests could spare febrile infants from more invasive procedures

New evidence from a six-country study led by the Montreal Children's Hospital and Children's National Hospital shows simple blood and urine tests could spare many young infants with fevers from more invasive procedures.

8 Dec 2025

E-visits resolve common health issues with low follow-up rates

Researchers compare the efficacy of e-visits in clinical settings where other types of visits are available.

4 Dec 2025

Feds promised ‘radical transparency’ but are withholding rural health fund applications

Medication-delivering drones and telehealth at local libraries are among the ideas state leaders revealed in November for spending their share of a $50 billion federal rural health program.

2 Dec 2025

Circadian rhythms can influence outcomes related to influenza infections

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that circadian rhythms – the biological clocks of the body – can influence outcomes related to influenza infections, providing clinicians with insight about how biological processes can be used to optimize care for critically ill patients with respiratory viral infections.

1 Dec 2025