Ency. home > SpecialTopic > T > Types of health care providers
Types of health care providers
Overview
Alternative names:
Physicians - different types; Healthcare provider types; Doctors - different types
Information
PRIMARY CARE
- Generalists:
- Specialists who are frequently sought directly by women consumers for general primary care needs:
- OB/GYN -- physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, including well women's health care.
- CNM (certified nurse midwife) -- an advanced practice nurse specializing in women's health care needs throughout life, including prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum care of women through "normal" pregnancies.
- NP -- some nurse practitioners (advanced practice nurses) prepared in programs specific to women's health care including common gynecological problems, routine GYN health maintenance and screenings (such as a pap smear), and family planning.
- Areas of primary care where consumers often seek specialty care directly:
- visual care -- ophthalmologist (MD) or optometrist.
- mental health care -- psychiatrist (MD), psychologist, social worker (MSW), or psychiatric/mental health nurse specialist (MSN).
SPECIALTY (SUBSPECIALTY) CARE
Common specialty areas to which the consumer is typically referred by the primary care provider:
- anesthesiology -- anesthesia, either general or spinal block for surgeries and some forms of pain control
- cardiology -- heart disorders
- dermatology -- skin disorders
- endocrinology -- hormonal and metabolic disorders
- gastroenterology -- digestive system disorders
- general surgery -- common surgeries involving any part of the body
- gynecology/obstetrics -- pregnancy, both normal or problematic, and women's reproductive tract disorders
- immunology -- disorders of the immune system and allergies
- infectious disease -- infections affecting the tissues of any body system
- nephrology -- kidney disorders
- neurology -- nervous system disorders
- oncology -- cancer and some other malignant (growing worse - resisting treatment) diseases
- ophthalmology -- eye disorders and surgery
- orthopedics -- bone/connective tissue disorders
- otorhinolaryngology -- ear, nose, throat (ENT) disorders
- physical and rehabilitative medicine -- coordinate return to optimal functioning in individuals with musculoskeletal and neurological disorders (such as low back injury, spinal cord injuries, and stroke victims)
- psychiatry -- emotional or mental disorders
- pulmonary (lung) -- respiratory tract disorders
- radiology -- evaluation of X-rays and related procedures (such as ultrasound, CT scan, and MRI)
- urology -- male reproductive tract and both male and female urinary tract disorders
Ency. home > SpecialTopic > T > Types of health care providers
[an error occurred while processing this directive]