Primary-care practices first and best line of defense

 

In response to the article, "ER visits might hit high hark," which ran the week of May 26, I agree wholeheartedly that the emergency room is not the ideal place to be treated for minor injuries or illnesses, nor for care that should be provided at lower-cost facilities, including urgent-care centers and primary-care practices. However, while the article encouraged individuals to seek medical attention for minor illness and injury from urgent-care centers, it totally overlooked the role that primary-care practices play in limiting unnecessary trips to the ER through comprehensive and cost-effective preventive and acute care.

While I do not discount the merits of urgent-care facilities, numerous studies have shown that our first and best line of defense against unnecessary trips to the ER is provided by primary-care practices. Primary-care providers focus on early detection of illness and continuity of care through established and ongoing doctor-patient relationships, which in the long run is the best strategy for reducing trips to the ER.

 

Jerry I. Levine

Columbia

 

Jerry I. Levine, M.D., is vice president and medical director of Maryland Primary Care Physicians.