Primary care is the first point of care for many. It has a direct impact on health equity and is uniquely positioned to help alleviate the impact of social determinants of health, manage chronic conditions, and help people live healthier lives. While there are physician shortages in the primary care field, there are still individuals who commit to this noble pursuit. Today, we honor recent recipients of the Robert H. Ebert, MD Student Achievement Award by sharing their insights on what makes primary care great. Congratulations to ...

A major task of the U.S. health system is how to provide high-value care that is equitably accessible for the general populace. Health care is more costly in the U.S. than in any other country. As a result, nearly half of all Americans ...

How does a clinician’s stress affect patient care? How can we alleviate the crisis of physician burnout? What was COVID-19’s impact on the field of primary care?

Primary care physicians are uniquely positioned to go beyond the immediate needs of their patients. Everything from writing a prescription to examining the larger, more daunting socioeconomic and environmental factors that affect their patients’ health and well-being falls within their scope of work. “When physicians have a trusting relationship with their patients, there are things that are disclosed between the walls of an exam room that many people would not disclose otherwise,” says

In the not-so distant past, you may not have thought twice about your exposure to radiation. While Roentgen discovered the X-ray in 1895, it would not be until the early-mid 1900s that the general public—let alone the scientific community—would accept the malignant potential of an invisible, devastating force, powerful enough to pierce bone, burst cells, and warp DNA. It would take years of tragedy before we finally recognized radiation for what it was—a threat to human health. That begs the question, why aren’t we doing ...

Mental health is a growing public health priority. While people from racial/ethnic minority groups generally report a similar prevalence of mental health conditions compared to the rest of the U.S. population, they have

One of the most beautiful aspects of my practice as a mindfulness teacher and coach is that it takes me into a wide range of communities. The goal is to meet people where they are rather than expect them to find me. I learn as much (or more) from the populations I serve as they may learn from engaging in the programs I offer. Much of my mindfulness teaching involves individuals and groups who are from diverse backgrounds very different from my own. A recent experience was no exception, as I was invited to teach an eight-week

Data on long COVID is evolving, causing diagnosis and treatment to be complex. Primary care clinicians must consider not only the preexisting conditions of each patient, but their environment (work, home, financial security). There are special considerations when caring for vulnerable patient groups affected by long COVID, including patients with disabilities, substance use disorder, and those who are immunocompromised. Who is at risk for long COVID? Long COVID is significantly associated with age and in some reports, has been

To our community of readers and contributors of the Harvard Medical School Primary Care Review: It has been the pleasure of a lifetime to serve as the inaugural Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Medical School Primary Care Review from April 2020 through December 2022, and it is with mixed emotions that I step down from this role as I pursue further family obligations. Throughout the past 2.5 years, we have grown this publication to become a key Harvard-affiliated publication where community members ...