Primary and Comprehensive Care

Columbia Nursing researchers recognize the importance of both primary and comprehensive care in improving the health of the public. While primary care is the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community, comprehensive care addresses all health problems at any stage of a patient’s life and looks at health through a wide-angle lens, seeing the “big picture” from an all-inclusive perspective. Our nurse researchers whose projects focus on primary care often examine the nurse practitioner’s (NP or DNP) role in primary care, recognizing the increasing need for these advanced practitioners as the United States population ages. Importantly, the work of our researchers is breaking down the inherent barriers to NPs and DNPs practicing to the full scope of their capabilities and training in primary care.