What can a primary care provider do for me?

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) defines a primary care provider as “a doctor in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine or Pediatrics who provides definitive care to the undifferentiated patient at the point of first contact and takes continuing responsibility for providing the patient's comprehensive care. This care may include chronic, preventive and acute care in both inpatient and outpatient settings.”¹ The AAFP also notes that the responsibilities of primary care practices are to “provide health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses in a variety of health care settings (e.g., office, inpatient, critical care, long-term care, home care, day care, etc.)”¹ 

In addition to providing medical care for a patient’s symptoms or illness at the clinical visit, primary care providers also provide preventive health care. This may include screening for certain conditions directly by the primary care provider or by referral to specialists. The American College of Physicians provides clinical guidelines and recommendations to primary care providers for:

• appropriate antibiotic use²
• breast cancer screening³
• cardiac screening⁴
• cervical cancer screening⁵
• colorectal cancer screening⁶
• delivery of high value care⁷
• depression⁸
• diabetes⁹
• evaluation of pulmonary embolism¹⁰
• generic medications¹¹
• gout^12,13
• hematuria¹⁴
• hepatitis B¹⁵
• hypertension¹⁶
• insomnia¹⁷
• low back pain¹⁸
• osteoporosis¹⁹
• screening for cancer,²⁰ and
• testosterone treatment.²¹

In addition to these, primary care providers also monitor immunizations and sexual health. However, this list of guidelines is not comprehensive; primary care providers also refer to guidelines that are published from other committees, such as the American Diabetes Association and American College of Cardiology.

References

1. Physicians AAoF. Primary Care. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/primary-care.html. Accessed April 13, 2020.
2. Harris AM, Hicks LA, Qaseem A, Physicians ftHVCTFotACo, Control ftCfD, Prevention. Appropriate antibiotic use for acute respiratory tract infection in adults: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(6):425-434.
3. Qaseem A, Lin JS, Mustafa RA, Horwitch CA, Wilt TJ, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Screening for breast cancer in average-risk women: a guidance statement from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170(8):547-560.
4. Chou R, Physicians ftHVCTFotACo. Cardiac screening with electrocardiography, stress echocardiography, or myocardial perfusion imaging: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(6):438-447.
5. Sawaya GF, Kulasingam S, Denberg TD, Qaseem A, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Cervical cancer screening in average-risk women: best practice advice from the clinical guidelines committee of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(12):851-859.
6. Qaseem A, Crandall CJ, Mustafa RA, Hicks LA, Wilt TJ, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Screening for colorectal cancer in asymptomatic average-risk adults: a guidance statement from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2019;171(9):643-654.
7. Owens DK, Qaseem A, Chou R, Shekelle P, Physicians ftCGCotACo. High-value, cost-conscious health care: concepts for clinicians to evaluate the benefits, harms, and costs of medical interventions. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154(3):174-180.
8. Qaseem A, Barry MJ, Kansagara D, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Nonpharmacologic versus pharmacologic treatment of adult patients with major depressive disorder: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(5):350-359.
9. Qaseem A, Barry MJ, Humphrey LL, Forciea MA, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Oral pharmacologic treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a clinical practice guideline update from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(4):279-290.
10. Raja AS, Greenberg JO, Qaseem A, et al. Evaluation of patients with suspected acute pulmonary embolism: best practice advice from the clinical guidelines committee of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;163(9):701-711.
11. Choudhry NK, Denberg TD, Qaseem A, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Improving adherence to therapy and clinical outcomes while containing costs: opportunities from the greater use of generic medications: best practice advice from the clinical guidelines committee of the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(1):41-49.
12. Qaseem A, McLean RM, Starkey M, Forciea MA, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Diagnosis of acute gout: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(1):52-57.
13. Qaseem A, Harris RP, Forciea MA, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Management of acute and recurrent gout: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(1):58-68.
14. Nielsen M, Qaseem A, Physicians ftHVCTFotACo. Hematuria as a marker of occult urinary tract cancer: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;164(7):488-497.
15. Abara WE, Qaseem A, Schillie S, et al. Hepatitis B vaccination, screening, and linkage to care: best practice advice from the American College of Physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ann Intern Med. 2017;167(11):794-804.
16. Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, Rich R, et al. Pharmacologic treatment of hypertension in adults aged 60 years or older to higher versus lower blood pressure targets: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(6):430-437.
17. Qaseem A, Kansagara D, Forciea MA, Cooke M, Denberg TD, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Management of chronic insomnia disorder in adults: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165(2):125-133.
18. Qaseem A, Wilt TJ, McLean RM, Forciea MA, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(7):514-530.
19. Qaseem A, Forciea MA, McLean RM, Denberg TD, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Treatment of low bone density or osteoporosis to prevent fractures in men and women: a clinical practice guideline update from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(11):818-839.
20. Wilt TJ, Harris RP, Qaseem A, Physicians ftHVCTFotACo. Screening for cancer: advice for high-value care from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(10):718-725.
21. Qaseem A, Horwitch CA, Vijan S, Etxeandia-Ikobaltzeta I, Kansagara D, Physicians ftCGCotACo. Testosterone treatment in adult men with age-related low testosterone: a clinical guideline from the American College of Physicians. Ann Intern Med. 2020;172(2):126-133.