Primary care refers to the first level of healthcare for patients. This type of care is mainly provided by General Practitioners (GPs), but community pharmacists—among others (e.g. family physicians, nurse practitioners)—are also considered primary care providers.
A significant portion of annual healthcare spending is wasted in the Arab world due to inefficiencies. Chief among these inefficiencies is the tendency for patients to seek care from expensive specialists and hospitals instead of GPs.
Amidst rising healthcare fees and subsequently rising health insurance prices, health officials in the UAE are increasingly promoting the use of primary care to relieve mounting costs. In this Pacific Prime Dubai article, we delve into what exactly primary care is and why it is important.
What Is Primary Care?
Primary care serves as the initial point of contact for individuals seeking healthcare. It primarily includes services from GPs, pharmacists, and other community providers, focusing on comprehensive care for a variety of physical, psychological, and social issues rather than specific diseases.
Healthcare consists of three levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Secondary and tertiary services are mainly provided by hospitals and specialists.
Primary care plays an integral role in the overall health of populations and covers a wide range of services, such as:
- Prevention and management of acute and chronic conditions
- Health promotion
- Health risk assessment
- Disease identification
- Rehabilitative, supportive, and palliative treatment
Top Benefits of Primary Healthcare
Among the top benefits of using primary healthcare services are consistency, convenience, and comfort. A sound primary healthcare system is also pivotal to disease prevention and general health maintenance of the population.
As the incidence of lifestyle-related diseases continues to rise, having one doctor who knows your medical condition and history has become increasingly important. Building a relationship with a primary treatment practitioner can lead to numerous positive health outcomes for you and your family:
- Consistency: By having a close relationship with one primary care provider, you won’t have to keep explaining your medical condition(s) and history to every new physician you visit.
- Convenience: Within a primary care practice, you can access many different types of healthcare services, including treatment for chronic conditions (e.g., rhinitis, diabetes, asthma) and acute treatment for a wide range of ailments (e.g., fever, digestive problems).
- Comfort: By having one doctor who knows your medical condition, you can feel more comfortable with the healthcare provider and thus more at ease with sharing personal or sensitive symptoms and health concerns.
- Disease prevention: Regular checkups with a physician can make sure any health problems that may arise are detected early, when they’re most treatable.
- Health maintenance: Primary healthcare providers can effectively help you avoid health problems, as they have a deep understanding of your medical history and can therefore better determine your risk of developing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, etc.
Call to Promote Primary Care in Dubai
A Middle East Insurance Review (MEIR) article called to attention the UAE government’s need to promote the use of primary care in Dubai and clamp down on patients “self-referring” themselves to costly specialists, or “doctor shopping,” to combat rising health insurance costs.
This partly reflects Dubai’s demographics. The majority of the population are expats, many of whom are unfamiliar with the local healthcare system. As such, they think that it’s best to frequent hospitals closest to them should they experience any health issues.
Emphasis on Preventative Care
In addition to promoting the utilization of primary healthcare services, the UAE government is also putting emphasis on preventative care and the need for the healthcare system to identify costly illnesses—such as cancer—and encourage a culture of regular check-ups and healthy lifestyles.
Mandatory health insurance plans in Dubai received a cancer screening coverage boost to address this issue at the beginning of 2018. Patients with detected breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer are now covered in full—from screening to treatment—by even the most basic health insurance plans.
Previous enhancements to mandatory coverage also include:
- Diabetes screening
- Newborn and developmental screening
- Heart disease screening
Health Insurance and Primary Care
Having health insurance featuring robust outpatient benefits means you will be able to see your doctor on a regular basis, as well as receive all screenings and check-ups that may be needed to identify health problems as early as possible.
Primary care treatment improves outcomes, but not everyone in Dubai utilizes it. On the surface, it can seem like the more expensive option, as it might be easier on your wallet in the short run to just visit a hospital or doctor for acute treatment (i.e., care that addresses an existing ailment).
However, the preventative focus of primary healthcare—e.g., increased likelihood of detecting health problems—will offset the initial expense of seeking primary healthcare in the long run.
With this in mind, Pacific Prime Dubai suggests that all those who would like to seek frequent primary healthcare services obtain comprehensive health coverage. With superior medical insurance, you won’t have to worry about low annual limits and high co-pays.
If you have any questions about healthcare or health insurance in Dubai, be sure to get in touch with our team today! As Dubai’s leading broker, not only can we identify the best plans for your needs, but we can also give you impartial advice and a health insurance quote free of charge.
That way, you can easily receive primary care treatment with maximum peace of mind!
Since joining Pacific Prime, Martin has become even more aware of the gap between the true value of insurance products and most people’s appreciation of it, and developed a passion for demystifying and simplifying matters, so that more people get the protection they need at a cost they can easily afford.
In his free time, Martin attends concerts of various genres, and plays the violin with piano accompaniment he pre-recorded himself or played live by his niece.
