Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Care - definition?

[Guest frenchfrog]

I understand the concept of Primary Healthcare (family physicians, pediatricians, basically the patient's first contact in the health care system, right?).

Thus, I thought I understood what Secondary Care was...but I'm not so sure anymore, because apparently there is such a thing as Tertiary Health Care.

What do each of these terms refer to?

[Guest medicator007]

It is quite confusing I will admit... and I don't think you will find any 100% foolproof definition, as this may change based on the city/environment in which you work.

 

From my own experience and interpretation, here is how I see it.

 

Primary Care Center -- front line, patient centered care

Secondary Care Center -- is generally a community hospital, capable of providing the majority of hospital based services, both general medical and surgical , often OB and other services.... but limited with regards to specialist access

Tertiary Care Center -- is generally an academic hospital with access to just about all specialists and equipment necessary and usually receiving their patients from a large catchment area and referral base

Quaternary Center -- is for super-specialized treatment of extremely rare medical conditions for which there may be only 2-3 centres in a given country.

 

The delineations are arbitrary and it is evident that certain centers will have elements of ALL levels of care incorporated within it.

 

This is just MY personal take on it, hope it helped.

 

Medicator