Discuss the gatekeeping role of primary care.
In a gatekeeping system, patients do not visit specialists without a referral from their primary care physicians. On the surface, gatekeeping may appear to be a controlling mechanism for denying needed care. In most cases, however, the interposition of primary care protects patients from unnecessary procedures and overtreatment.
This is because specialists are much greater users of tests and procedures, and such interventions carry a definite risk of iatrogenic complications. Gatekeeping must emphasize the coordinating role of primary care to ensure comprehensiveness and continuity of care.