Question

Difference between primary secondary and tertiary health care

Answer 1

What is the difference between primary, secondary, and tertiary health care?

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13 ANSWERS



Shoba Lal, M.Phil in Development Studies from Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyd.

Updated Sep 4, 2016 · Author has 190 answers and 295k answer views

The prevention of disease, diagnosis, treatment of illness, injury in human beings form the subject matter of health care. Those involved in providing health care include medical practitioners, nurses, psychologists, dentists, midwives, pharmacists and so on. There are also the paraprofessionals who provide preventive, curative and rehabilitative care services.

Health care delivery includes providing primary care, secondary care and tertiary care.

Primary Health Care: (PHC) They are the basic first level of contact between individuals and families with the health system. The general practitioners, the family physician, the physiotherapist are the usual primary health care providers. Immunisation, basic curative care services, maternal and child health services, prevention of diseases are the type of services provided by PHC's. Family planning, health education, provision of food and nutrition and adequate supply of safe drinking water may also be included in their services.

In India, a network of sub centres and PHC's work in rural areas to provide primary health care. Family welfare centres provide such services in the urban areas. The staff in a PHC includes a medical officer, a staff nurse, the pharmacist and other paramedical support staff.

Secondary Health Centre: Health care services, at such centres are provided by medical specialists. They may not have first contact with patients. Depending on the policies of the National Health System, patients may access these services through physician referral or self referral.

Secondary health care providers include cardiologists, urologists, dermatologists and other such specialists. The health care services include acute care, short period stay in a hospital emergency department for brief but serious illness.

There may be secondary care providers who do not work in hospitals - psychiatrists, physiotherapists, respiratory therapists, speech therapists and so on.

In India, the District Hospitals and Community Health Centres at the block level are examples of Secondary Health Centres within the public health system.

Tertiary Health Centre: This is a specialised consultative health care for inpatients. The patients are admitted into these centres on a referral from primary or secondary health professionals. Tertiary health care is provided in a facility that have personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation and treatment. Services provided include cancer management, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery and a host of complex medical and surgical interventions. Advanced diagnostic support services and specialised intensive care which cannot be provided by primary and secondary health centres are available at the tertiary health centres.

In India tertiary care services under the public health system, is provided by medical colleges and advanced medical research institutes.



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