Below are stories in the SendtoNews archives that indicate as their primary category:
Heath care generally refers to the provision of medical care including the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, illness and injury with the goal of promoting the health and wellbeing of all people. In the U.S., the delivery of such care is divided into four tiers depending on the level and urgency of care needed. The following paragraphs provide an overview of the type of heath care offered at each tier.
PRIMARY CARE
As the backbone of local community health, primary care services provide the first point of contact for patients. At this level, providers, including family physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, offer routine outpatient care. If the patient's medical condition cannot be resolved at this level, then the provider will refer the patient to a specialist or medical center for secondary or tertiary care.
SECONDARY CARE
At this level, medical specialists and other professionals provide heath care to patients upon referral from a primary care physician; examples include cardiologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. Secondary care also refers to acute care, such as treatment for a brief but serious illness or injury in an emergency room, as well as services provided during childbirth, medical imaging and intensive care. Many people equate hospital care with secondary care, but not all specialists work in a hospital setting.
TERTIARY CARE
At this level, further specialized heath care is provided for inpatients on a consultative capacity in an advanced medical facility. A referral from a primary or secondary provider is generally required. Examples include cancer treatment and cardiac surgery.
QUATERNARY CARE
This term sometimes refers to an extension of tertiary heath care into extremely specialized services. Many of these are generally difficult to access, often due to availability only at certain regional medical centers. For instance, experimental treatments and some uncommon procedures fall into this category.
Although the realm of heath care delivery encompasses four levels of advancement, most people only see the first one or two levels of care on a regular basis. Since the higher tiers often imply increased illness or injury, such skewed exposure suggests that our heath care system works effectively in triaging and treating patients. No system is perfect, but the American method works well enough to attract patients from all over the world.
