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 Health Care

Strategies to Improve Shortage of Primary Health Care

Benefits of Primary Care Intervention

Multidisciplinary Primary Care Teams

Effective Communication in Primary Care Teams

Latest Primary Care News and Research

How genetic traits contribute to earlier diabetes onset and metabolic challenges in South Asians

The study uncovers genetic factors driving early type 2 diabetes in South Asians, highlighting risks of insulin dependence and medication response challenges.

28 Nov 2024

Culturally appropriate interventions strengthen healthcare responses to domestic violence

Culturally appropriate women-centred interventions can help healthcare systems respond to domestic violence, research has found.

27 Nov 2024

Routine health checks for heart disease risk did not recover fully after the pandemic

Routine screening to detect risk factors for heart disease dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic in England, and some key measurements, such as blood pressure readings, may still lag behind pre-pandemic levels.

26 Nov 2024

Addressing the challenges of cognitive impairment detection in primary care

Early detection of cognitive impairment is essential for improving patient outcomes, but primary care settings face significant challenges in screening. This special report summarizes key points and gaps in knowledge about methods for detecting cognitive impairment in primary care clinics.

25 Nov 2024

Targeted intervention substantially boosts colorectal cancer screening rates

Colorectal cancer screening is an effective tool for catching the disease early when it's most treatable, yet it is underutilized in patient populations who receive primary care at federally qualified health centers (FQHC).

25 Nov 2024

History of endometriosis and fibroids linked to higher long-term risk of early death

Researchers examine the impact of endometriosis and uterine fibroids on the risk of early death.

25 Nov 2024

Endometriosis and uterine fibroids may raise risk of early death in women

Women with a history of endometriosis and uterine fibroids might have an increased long term risk of premature death, finds a large study from the United States published by The BMJ today.

21 Nov 2024

Researchers develop low cost, scalable methodology for early dementia detection

A new study by researchers from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and Purdue University presents their low cost, scalable methodology for the early identification of individuals at risk of developing dementia.

20 Nov 2024

New collaboration aims to improve mental health services for primary care patients

Northwestern Medicine, West Health, and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute have announced a new collaboration that will make accessing care to evidence-based mental health services faster and easier for primary care patients across Northwestern Medicine.

20 Nov 2024

BU School of Medicine receives grant to expand education on opioid use disorder treatment

The Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine Center for Continuing Education (BU CCE) recently received a two-year, $400,000 grant from the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine to create continuing education programs to increase the number of physicians and advanced practice providers that incorporate treatment for opioid use disorders (OUD) into their primary care practices.

19 Nov 2024

Active feedback improves pharmacist participation in heart failure treatment

Pharmacists who received active feedback about their heart failure patients increased the frequency of their patient interactions and prescribed more heart failure medication adjustments, according to late-breaking science presented today at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2024.

18 Nov 2024

AI algorithm accurately detects early-stage metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease

Liver disease, which is treatable when discovered early, often goes undetected until late stages, but a new study revealed that an algorithm fueled by artificial intelligence can accurately detect early-stage metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) by using electronic health records.

18 Nov 2024

Standardized screening leads to earlier autism diagnoses in pediatric care

New research from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute found that the use of standardized autism screening during pediatric well-child visits identifies more children with high autism likelihood at a younger age, including those presenting with more subtle symptoms.

15 Nov 2024

Teledermoscopy offers reliable skin cancer diagnosis

Collecting images of suspicious-looking skin growths and sending them off-site for specialists to analyze is as accurate in identifying skin cancers as having a dermatologist examine them in person, a new study shows.

14 Nov 2024

Primary care clinicians key to achieving optimal cardiovascular health

Primary care clinicians and practices are uniquely positioned to help people achieve optimal cardiovascular health through screening, diagnosing and treating the health behaviors and factors outlined in the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8 health metrics to reduce the risk for heart disease and stroke, according to a new scientific statement published today in the Association's peer-reviewed journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

13 Nov 2024

Electronic frailty index validated for predicting health complications in seniors

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), on October 24, 2024, Volume 16, Issue 20, titled, "Development and validation of an electronic frailty index in a national health maintenance organization."

12 Nov 2024

Continuous Medicaid enrollment linked to lower risk of late-stage lymphoma diagnosis

Continuous enrollment in Medicaid was associated with a lower rate of a late-stage lymphoma diagnosis in children and adolescents/young adults (AYAs).

12 Nov 2024

Study shows community health workers can improve asthma care for children

While great strides have been made to ensure children have access to proper asthma care in their home and community, linking those environments to the care that children receive while in school has been a challenge.

12 Nov 2024

Updated recommendations stress importance of CPR for drowning victims

Updated guidance reaffirms the recommendation for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and highlights the importance of compressions with rescue breaths as a first step in responding to cardiac arrest following drowning, according to a new, focused update to Special Circumstances Guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

12 Nov 2024

Study reveals high prevalence of unrecognized cognitive impairment in vulnerable older adults

One of the first studies to investigate the prevalence of unrecognized cognitive impairment among patients seen at Federally Qualified Health Centers, has found that it is ubiquitous, especially among minoritized older adults.

8 Nov 2024