Step 1: Define the levels of health care.
Step 1: Health care is often structured in levels:
Primary Care: The first point of contact for a patient. It is comprehensive, continuous, and accessible. It is provided by general practitioners or family physicians.
Secondary Care: Specialized care provided by medical specialists (e.g., cardiologists, dermatologists) to whom a patient is referred from primary care.
Tertiary Care: Highly specialized care, such as advanced surgery or cancer treatment, usually in a large medical center or hospital.
Quaternary Care: An extension of tertiary care, even more specialized and often experimental.
Step 2: Place "family practice" within this structure.
Step 2: Family practice, or general practice, is the cornerstone of the healthcare system. Family physicians provide comprehensive and continuous care for individuals and families across all ages and genders. This role is the definition of primary care.