Academic Primary Care

Academic Primary Care

Primary care is the first point of contact for health care for most people. We often think of primary care being mainly provided by GPs (general practitioners), but there are other important providers such as community pharmacists, opticians and dentists. Primary care provides treatment for common illnesses, management of long-term health problems, and prevention of future disease. It has a key role in coordinating care, with important relationships between patient and clinician often extending over long periods. Primary care is often closely integrated with other health services and the wider community.

Academic primary care seeks to improve primary care through research and teaching. It provides evidence to understand, evaluate and improve primary care policy and practice. By working with patients and the public, and engaging with partners in practice and policy, academic primary care aims to improve the quality, effectiveness and safety of care and health services.