Which characteristics describe primary health care?

• A. Emphasizes health promotion, prenatal and well-baby care, nutrition counseling, disease control; sustained partnership; examples include office visits and screenings.
• B. Includes diagnosis and treatment of emergency, acute illness, or injury in hospital settings.
• C. Emphasizes care coordination solely through hospital-based services.
• D. Prioritizes acute care over preventive services.

Answer: (A)

Primary health care centers on health promotion and prevention across the lifespan, delivered through ongoing, accessible relationships between communities and providers. It includes prenatal and well‑baby care, nutrition counseling, disease prevention and control, and hinges on sustained partnerships rather than episodic, one‑time encounters. Office visits and routine screenings are classic examples of this continuous, preventive approach.

This stands in contrast to hospital‑based acute care, which focuses on diagnosing and treating emergencies or illnesses in urgent settings. When care coordination is confined to hospital services, it misses the broader, community‑based, long‑term perspective of primary health care. Likewise, prioritizing acute care over preventive services contradicts the fundamental aim of PHC to prevent problems before they escalate.

So, the described characteristics align with primary health care because they emphasize ongoing, preventive, community‑oriented care built on durable provider–patient relationships.