secondary care

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secondary care (sek-ŏnd-er-i) n. health care provided by hospital clinicians for a patient whose primary care was provided by the general practitioner or other health professional who first diagnosed or treated the patient. Secondary care cannot be accessed directly by patients. For example, a general practitioner who assesses a patient with an unusual skin condition may refer the patient to a dermatologist, who then becomes the source of secondary care. Compare tertiary care.