---
title: Primary and Specialty Care Terminology
description: Use this glossary to explain common terms patients, families, and healthcare professionals may hear when discussing routine care, specialist visits, appointments, and referrals.
---
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# Primary and Specialty Care Terminology
## Primary care addresses a broad range of health needs and ongoing care. Specialty care focuses on particular conditions, body systems, or patient needs.
### Care settings and appointments
- Primary care provider (PCP): A healthcare professional who provides routine care and helps coordinate other health services.
- Preventive care: Services intended to prevent illness or identify health concerns early.
- Screening: Testing or assessment for a condition before symptoms are present.
- Follow-up visit: An appointment to review a condition, test result, treatment, or recovery.
- Consultation: An assessment or discussion in which a healthcare professional provides specialized advice.
- Telehealth: Healthcare provided or supported through telecommunications technology.
- Outpatient care: Care provided without admission as a hospital inpatient.
- Urgent care: A service for health concerns needing prompt attention that may not require an emergency department.
### Specialty providers
- Cardiologist: A physician specializing in the heart and cardiovascular conditions.
- Pulmonologist: A physician specializing in the lungs and respiratory conditions.
- Endocrinologist: A physician specializing in hormones and related conditions.
- Neurologist: A physician specializing in the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system.
- Nephrologist: A physician specializing in kidney conditions.
- Gastroenterologist: A physician specializing in the digestive system.
- Oncologist: A physician specializing in cancer care.
- Psychiatrist: A physician specializing in mental health assessment and treatment.
- Physiatrist: A physician specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
### Access and coordination
- Referral: A request or direction for a patient to receive another service or specialist assessment.
- Referring provider: The healthcare professional requesting another service or consultation.
- Prior authorization: A health plan’s advance review or approval requirement for certain services or medicines.
- In-network provider: A provider contracted with a patient’s health plan under applicable network arrangements.
- Medical records: Documentation of assessments, diagnoses, tests, treatments, and other healthcare information.
Provider titles, referral requirements, appointment types, and health plan processes may vary by location and organization. The care team or health plan can explain the arrangements that apply to a particular patient.
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