Primary Secondary Tertiary Care Definition
Having trouble with these definitions?
Would you define primary, secondary, and tertiary care in a simple way that I won’t forget? What are the major differences?
OK, here are the definitions I found:
PRIMARY
n. The medical care a patient receives upon first contact with the health care system, before referral elsewhere within the system.
TERTIARY vs SECONDARY
In medicine, tertiary healthcare is specialized consultative care, usually on referral from primary or secondary medical care personnel, by specialists working in a center that has personnel and facilities for special investigation and treatment.
Specialist cancer care, neurosurgery (brain surgery), burns care and plastic surgery are examples of tertiary care services.
In comparison, secondary medical care is the medical care provided by a physician who acts as a consultant at the request of the primary physician.
CONDENSED:
PRIMARY – first contact
TERTIARY – specialist consultative care on referral
SECONDARY – specialist care
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