- An individual can easily make first-contact with a primary care physician;
- An individual has a continual relationship with a primary care physician over time;
- Primary care physicians provide comprehensive care, which includes prevention, coaching, counseling when appropriate, care for acute and chronic illnesses and injuries, minor surgery, injections, aspiration of joints, simple dislocations, common skin problems, behavioral health and common mental health problems and community health resources information
- Primary care physicians provide coordinated care when treatment is required outside of primary care.
- Primary care physicians understand the need for family-centered care, where family members, family structure, and family history are an important part of the diagnosis, decision-making and ongoing treatment of an individual;
- Primary care should be delivered in a community-oriented way that understands the needs of certain populations and recognizes how distinguishing community characteristics influence the health needs of everyone in that community;
- Primary care is culturally-competent care that not only respects the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of patients, but also understands how they contribute to the overall health and ongoing treatment of an individual.
