Physician Services

Physician services are performed by a practitioner of medicine who has graduated from a college of medicine or osteopathy and who has been licensed and granted authority to practice medicine by a state board. Physicians are typically defined as generalists providing primary care services, or as specialists who limit their practices to a particular branch of medicine or surgery.

Many healthcare services are directed through a primary care physician. A primary care practice usually serves as a patient’s first point of entry into the health care system. Primary care practices provide services related to health promotion, disease prevention, health maintenance, counseling, patient education, and diagnosis and treatment of acute and chronic illnesses. A primary care physician typically serves a defined number of patients in a variety of settings. The structure of the primary care practice may include a team of physicians and non-physician health professionals.

According to the American Medical Association, all physicians must have residency training in a particular medical specialty, and many practicing physicians go on to specialize in a particular area of medicine. The most frequently entered specialties are Emergency medicine, Family practice, Internal medicine, Obstetrics-Gynecology, Orthopedic surgeon, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery. The American Board of Medical Specialties identifies more than 145 specialties and subspecialties.

There are providers of health care, other than physicians, who render some primary care services. Such providers may include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, or some other health care provider. These services may meet the needs of a specific patient for a specific purpose. In most instances, these types of services are provided in a collaborative environment where the physician maintains ultimate responsibility for the care of the patient.