Primary care

Primary care is the sort of healthcare people can use without having to be checked by someone first.[1] It is generally not in hospitals.

In most countries this means general practitioners, dentists, opticians and pharmacists. Emergency departments dont expect people to be checked out first. Physician assistants, physical therapists, or a nurse may expect people to be sent to them by a doctor in some places. If people are paying for their own treatment they may be able to go where they want, but in a public healthcare system there are usually more controls. In less developed countries people may be used to going to hospitals for all their problems.