Routine preventive and curative healthcare are essential components of well-being. Prevention, wellness and treatment are important for living a healthy life. With these goals in mind, primary care is your first line of defense against illness.

What is primary care?

Primary care is usually the first point of contact between a patient and the healthcare system.1 It is the first line of defense against chronic conditions and various health issues. In primary care, a primary care physician (PCP) is at the head of the care team. 

Primary care covers health services that cover a range of prevention, wellness, and treatment for common illnesses. Primary care providers include doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. They often maintain long-term relationships with you and advise and treat you on a range of health related issues. They may also coordinate your care with specialists.

4 reasons why primary care is important

Primary care is often the first step for those looking to manage and prevent health problems. Here are a few reasons why primary care is so important for maintaining overall health. 

1. Primary care is a time saver. 

PCPs are trained in various disciplines and can treat many different illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes, allergies, cold symptoms, and much more. Primary care is often a one-stop shop. 

Primary care involves preventive care and lifestyle guidance for general health and wellness. These could include health and wellness screenings, weight counseling, nutrition advice, and more. 

Primary care also helps save time because a PCP can often address many health needs in one appointment, including immunizations and preventive screenings. Primary care offers an opportunity to take advantage of a PCP’s wide expertise.

2. Primary care can spot things early. 

Primary care helps manage existing health issues. Regular checkups and screenings can also help find health problems early. This is one of the reasons PCPs take measures of weight and vital signs like blood pressure. They are looking for any negative changes that could affect a patient’s health in the future. 

Spotting health issues early is very important when it comes to treatment. For example, spotting symptoms of prediabetes can help prevent diabetes in the future. There are more treatment options when medical conditions are caught early. This means the treatments have a higher success of actually working.

3. Primary care opens the door to the healthcare system.

Primary care can address many health conditions. But there are still things outside of the scope of primary care. In some cases, patients may require specialized care for certain medical issues. Primary care represents the first stop on that journey. 

Primary care doctors can open the door if specialists are needed. They do this through referrals or recommendations. Primary care providers may help connect patients with the necessary specialists, which may help take the burden and stress off the patient.

4. Primary care works.

At the end of the day, primary care works for those looking to take control of their health and wellness. Primary care has long-term health benefits as well. According to a 10-year study, access to primary care was directly linked to longer life expectancy.2

Primary care leads to longer life expectancy as a result of preventive care, which helps identify and treat health issues early. Those who stay on top of their health tend to have better health outcomes in the long run. 

Some examples of preventive care include:

• Annual checkups.
• Cancer screenings.
• Mammograms.
• Immunizations.
• Flu shots.

PCPs also help manage and monitor chronic conditions. Routine checkups can help keep track of whether treatments are effective at preventing or treating medical conditions. PCPs can also note any significant changes, whether positive or negative.

Who are primary care providers?

Primary care providers (or PCPs) can diagnose and treat various health conditions and provide preventive care. Preventive care includes regular checkups, vaccinations, annual screenings, disease prevention and more. 

There are different types of physicians within the primary health care field. These professionals include:

• Family physicians 
  These general practitioners practice family medicine and wellness and treat patients of all ages.
• Pediatricians
  These PCPs are trained to treat infants, children, and adolescents. Pediatricians can treat patients up to 21 years of age.
• Geriatricians
  These physicians treat older adults (65 or older). They’re trained to address the health needs of elderly patients and treat chronic diseases. 
• Internists
  These are primary care providers who specialize in internal medicine. They generally treat and manage acute and chronic conditions in adults.

The ongoing importance of primary care

Primary care is a very important part of overall medical care. People with primary care doctors tend to receive better care than those without a primary care doctor.4 PCPs can act as health advocates for their patients. 

Your primary care provider can offer insights on medical news, vaccinations and trends in treatments. They can provide guidance, help you solve health issues with medical advice, counseling and therapies that might include prescriptions or other lifestyle guidance. This can open the door for treatment, referrals and/or preventive care.

Are you looking for primary care options? HealthTap has affordable virtual primary care providers online who can help. HealthTap primary care doctors are available to give medical advice, diagnose and treat ongoing medical conditions, and provide preventive care. This happens through a quick and easy-to-schedule online appointment. Established patients can also send secure messages to their HealthTap PCP after completing their first appointment.

Get started with a HealthTap doctor today here — primary care is just one tap away.