Several types of healthcare systems and facilities exist based on different classifications. It could either be public or private, depending on ownership. However, there are four well-known basic categories – the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary healthcare facilities. This division shows the type of care offered and the extent of the services such as medical establishments provide.

1.   Primary Healthcare

This level of care involves only the things we consider to be essential as regards health and well-being. They include health promotion, preventive education, diagnosis, treatment, and management of ongoing conditions. One importance of primary healthcare is the ease of accessibility to the public. Thus, regular primary care providers are GPs, dentists, counselors, pharmacists, etc.

2.   Secondary Healthcare

Specialists make up the secondary care system. They handle cases that the primary provider can’t manage effectively to give the best treatment outcomes. That’s because they have more knowledge and specialized experience in certain areas of medical practice. These specialists focus on either individual disease conditions or a body system or organ. Examples include nephrologists, cardiologists, oncologists, etc.

3.   Tertiary Healthcare

The tertiary healthcare involves an increased level of specialization compared to the secondary system. Cases the specialists involved handle, more often than not, require hospitalization. They also need specialized equipment and training with experience. Such conditions include various complex treatments and procedures like certain surgeries.

4.   Quaternary Healthcare

Most people leave out the quaternary system because they classify the treatments as an extension of tertiary care. That’s true; however, they require an even higher specialty level as the procedures are rare. They include unusual, highly specialized, or experimental medical procedures. Therefore, not all tertiary medical establishments offer such services.