There are 3 types of healthcare that provides health service to the public. Some of the system features may differ between countries however the main objective is to give the best service to the population at different level according to the difference of patient’s need.
• Primary care
– A form of medical care delivery that emphasizes “first contact care” to patients and assumes ongoing responsibility for the patient in both health maintenance and therapy of illness before the patients being referred elsewhere
– It acting like the point of entry to the healthcare system where the family physicians act like the front liner and taking care of the point of entry. The family physician will take care of the common problems including both early and undifferentiated problem where the family physician need to understand the natural history and identify the dangerous sign and symptoms and do the initial management before referring the patients to the appropriate discipline (e.g.: medical, orthopedic, surgical or psychiatric)
– It provides continuous, comprehensive and coordinated essential health care provided to individuals and families in the community regardless of gender, disease or organ system
– By means acceptable to the patients through their full participation and at cost that the individual/community can afford
• Secondary care
– Is consultative and advisory in nature
– It assists primary care doctors with diagnostic or therapeutic dilemmas
– Most of the time, it involves referral for short term care in health institution
• Tertiary care
– Care for patients with:
• Unusual disorders/diseases
• Disorders requiring management with expensive technology
Other related articles:
· Specializing in family medicine
· Principles of family medicine
· Types of primary care
Reference:
1. American Academy of Family Medicine
2. Malaysian Academy of Family Medicine
