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Primary Care

Primary care refers to person-oriented, longitudinal care provided via family medical services—provided by a physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner. Primary healthcare, however, is more inclusive and refers to both individual level care and population-focused activities that incorporate: public health, policy, health equity, interprofessional collaboration, universal healthcare initiatives and many more. Primary care providers are responsible for addressing a wide array and vast majority of personal healthcare needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients over a long period of time, and practicing within the context of family and community. People often will meet with a primary care provider before getting referred to a specialist or for more advanced healthcare services via a hospital.

What are the benefits of primary care?

Primary care has several functions within healthcare and the communities in which they serve. In a primary care setting, the sustained relationship built between the patient and provider allows the two to better collaborate. The enhanced relationship and provider familiarity with patient’s medical history can: improve the quality of care, chronic disease management, preventative service delivery, reduce costs and provide a medical home for patients to go to rather than seeking out emergency or urgent care services for non-urgent needs. If a patient does need a higher level of care in the form of a specialist, surgical consult or hospitalization, the primary care providers also function as a referral source and are responsible for care coordination—improving specialty referrals.

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  • Improves access to preventative care

  • Improves health outcomes

  • Improves patient self-management to prescribed treatments

  • Reduces unnecessary hospitalizations & specialist visits

Rural Health & Primary Care

Primary care providers are the backbone of rural health care, yet primary care in rural locations are in crisis. Of the 2,050 rural counties in the United States, 77% are primary health professional shortage areas and less than a third of physicians are choosing to practice in rural areas. Regardless of the lack of resources and primary care providers, the demand for service continues to rise across the nation. Although the number of physicians and number of primary care providers is not increasing significantly, in the next decade, tens of thousands of additional primary care providers will be needed to meet the growing needs of the rural population.

Unique Considerations for Rural Communities

In addition to the lack of access to primary care providers in rural areas, there are other unique considerations when seeking primary care services. Some of these include:

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  • Confidentiality in a rural setting or small town;

  • Dual relationships & ethics within a close-knit community;

  • Treatment-seeking behaviors of clients in rural communities;

  • Distance & scarcity of services in rural settings;

  • Provider shortages in the nation, state & local area;

  • Stigma associated with accessing care, rural communities, & rural providers.

Implications

Primary care services can effectively address general health concerns and primary care needs of rural communities. Those who are interested in entering primary care practice, in rural areas, should consider the following practice tips:

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  • Explore the diversity of the area—identifying the geographic differences, cultural influences, and resources available within the community;

  • Network with healthcare providers and community stakeholders to acclimate to the community & build social and professional associations;

  • Utilize creative problem-solving strategies & innovative solutions to address the needs of patients/clients;

  • Engage in conversation surrounding ethical practices & revisit the code of ethics or ethical responsibilities of each given healthcare profession;

  • Invest & advocate for professional development opportunities and other supportive strategies to encourage successful recruitment and retention of rural providers.

This work was supported by contract number 201712381A proviso 33.22(E)(4) which is a legislative grant funded by a rural health proviso with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS). The work was approved by and developed in conjunction with DHHS and the USC school of Medicine. The points of view or opinions in this project are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the SCDHHS.

Copyright © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

Rural Health & Primary Care

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