Right Medical Facility
Filed Under Right Medical Facility |
A wide variety of medical facilities are available to prospective patientshospitals, emergency rooms, convalescent homes, and clinics. There are choices for most tastes and for the satisfaction of most individuals. It’s important to know the facilities in your area and to make your choices before you need the services. To select the best facilities, you will need to understand the terms “primary,” “secondary,” and “tertiary” care. Primary medical care is provided by a physician at the office or at an emergency room or clinic. It is care which may be obtained by a patient without the referral of another physician. It is often called “ambulatory care” or “out-patient care.” Secondary care is that afforded by the typical community hospital and the physicians involved may be specialists or subspecialists. As a rule, access to this care requires the referral of a physician. Much secondary care is “in-patient” or hospital care. Tertiary care includes special and extraordinary procedures such as kidney dialysis, open-heart surgery, and sophisticated treatment of rare diseases. This type of care is found at university affiliated hospitals and regional referral centers. When you select a medical facility, you want close primary care with good access to secondary care. Tertiary care is often a great distance from your home, and may never be needed during your entire lifetime.