When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn't know what I was going to do. After the devastation subsided, I decided to take a very standard, western approach to my healing. Although initial efforts were successful, my cancer recurred a few months later. I endured many additional months of treatment before I started focusing on myself. I decided it was time to incorporate complimentary alternative treatments into my healing regimen, including massage therapy. I can't even begin to tell you how much it changed my life. My healing became a process, instead of something I simply had to endure. I hope that the articles on my website can inspire you to stay open-minded about your own healthcare.
Primary care and secondary care are both medical phrases used to refer to the medical professionals that treat you. While you certainly have heard of primary care doctors, it may strike you odd hearing about secondary care physicians. However, there is a very good chance that either you, or someone in your family, regularly sees a secondary care doctor. Here are the differences between primary and secondary care to help you understand what secondary care is, and know why they are referred to by these phrases.
Primary Care
A primary care doctor is also your family physician or your general practitioner. These doctors go by all three titles, which tends to make things a little confusing if you are having a conversation with someone about your primary doctor. This is the doctor you see for practically every bodily complaint, and then some. He or she treats everything from a broken bone to gastroenteritis to the common cold. Most family members see the same family doctor out of convenience, but not always.
Secondary Care
A secondary care doctor is not someone you see instead of your primary care doctor. It is a doctor you see for specialty treatment. Most of the time your primary care doctor is the one that referred you to the secondary care doctor. These secondary care doctors practice a specific branch of medicine focused on one or few parts of the body. For instance, if you are diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), you primary care doctor may refer you to a gastrointestinal doctor, who you will see regularly for treatments and follow-up care for your IBS symptoms and medications.
A secondary care doctor you may see more or less often than your primary care doctor, depending on the severity of your symptoms. This includes various diseases and disorders. It is only when you visit your primary care doctor that he/she will ask how your treatments for you conditions are going. Your primary care doctor makes some notes based on your responses, and then notifies your secondary care doctor about any possible changes in treatments or medications.
Why Categorize Doctors in This Way
So, why would there be any need to categorize doctors and primary or secondary? The answer is fairly simple. In your patient charts, there is always a spot that requires the name of your primary care doctor. The purpose is to keep in touch and communicate with your primary care doctor any findings of importance and medications prescribed so that your primary doctor does not prescribe something that would cause you further harm or interact with anything your secondary doctor gave you.
Share21 January 2018
