Among the prominent buzzwords in today’s health-care debates is “primary care.” The conversations revolve around the shortage of primary care doctors, how primary care is essential to the success of health care reform and ways primary care can save money for everyone in the long run.

So what exactly is primary care, and why is it so important? If you Google a definition you’ll get approximately 15 responses, each one touching on some part of its essence. The one I like best is “the care of individuals with common health problems and chronic illnesses that can be managed on an outpatient basis, with an emphasis on prevention and continuity.”

The key to successful primary care lies in establishing a trusted relationship with your medical provider. This includes age-specific preventive exams and screenings, as well as treatment for more acute problems. Study after study has demonstrated that this primary-care relationship — really more of a health partnership — is the bedrock of any comprehensive and efficient health-care system.

The emerging model of primary care is a team approach, also known as the “medical home.” In this model, doctors work closely with nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, social workers, mental health providers, physical therapists, medical assistants and other members of the health care team to ensure that all problems or potential problems are addressed in a thorough and timely manner.

Successful primary care also relies on doctors having the knowledge and resources to provide appropriate convenient access to medical specialists or specialized servicesÑalong with the ability to provide a seamless flow of information among these entities.

Wherever you choose to receive your primary care, remember that you as the patient are always the driving force, and that primary care is just thatÑyour primary connection to every aspect of medical prevention, diagnosis and treatment. It is a powerful tool in achieving and maintaining good health.

— By Robert Russo, M.D.

— The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.