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What does a primary care provider do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read

Primary Care Providers, also known as general practitioners instead of specialists, are doctors trained to be the first point of contact for a patient entering the health care system. They diagnose, treat, and prevent a broad range of injuries and illnesses from allergies and colds to longer-term conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus. Their duties include performing lab tests to identify a condition, prescribing medications, checking for drug interactions, provide wound care, executing spirometry tests and electrocardiograms, and coordinating specialist care for your condition. A Primary Care Provider will also help create self-care plans prescribing a certain diet and recommending exercise routines.

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Primary care provider responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real primary care provider resumes:

  • Manage provider network to include verifying claims and benefits for healthcare providers/members and insurance companies.
  • Work alongside ABA therapists to continue to apply appropriate behavioral techniques.
  • Examine patients and carefully analyze test results and information gather during examinations to properly diagnose illnesses and diseases.
  • Used strong oral and written communications skills to develop and maintain effective relationships with patients, co-workers and international medical professionals.
  • Provide caring companionship to developmentally disabled/elderly residents.
  • Assist with toileting, including bedpans, urinals and commode chairs.
  • Monitor non-verbal clients with speech therapy requirements and submit ISP addenda.
  • Advocate for children with special needs at school IEP meetings to ensure require accommodations are met.
  • Evaluate the succession, regression, or maintenance of set goals and skills addressed within the IEP plan.
  • Assist child in reaching full potential while mastering self-help skills, communication skills, and socialization skills
  • Attend to basic self-help needs and other activities that would ordinarily be perform by family members.
  • Prepare all medications and administer via g-tube, using sterile techniques.
  • Preform catheter and ostomy care.
  • Provide all incontinence care, including bathing, changing diapers and condom catheters.
  • Provide caring companionship to developmentally disabled/elderly residents.

Primary care provider skills and personality traits

We calculated that 31% of Primary Care Providers are proficient in Patients, Internal Medicine, and Family Practice. They’re also known for soft skills such as Detail oriented, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Primary Care Providers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Patients, 31%

    Examined patients and carefully analyzed test results and information gathered during examinations to properly diagnose illnesses and diseases.

  • Internal Medicine, 13%

    Full spectrum inpatient and outpatient Internal Medicine practice

  • Family Practice, 12%

    Solo health care provider and office manager for a family practice and weight loss clinic.

  • Patient Care, 11%

    Collaborate with specialists for continuity and optimization of patient care.

  • Urgent Care, 10%

    Engaged in routine and preventative primary care, management of chronic illness and urgent care.

  • NP, 4%

    Completed 90 hours with Lorie Dwyer NP Lutheran Medical Group- Completed 96 hours with Dr. Thomas Kintanar

Common skills that a primary care provider uses to do their job include "patients," "internal medicine," and "family practice." You can find details on the most important primary care provider responsibilities below.

Detail oriented. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a primary care provider to have is detail oriented. Their role and responsibilities require that "home health aides and personal care aides must adhere to specific rules and protocols and carefully follow instructions to help take care of clients." Primary care providers often use detail oriented in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "measure and record details of patients with height and weight . "

Integrity. Another essential skill to perform primary care provider duties is integrity. Primary care providers responsibilities require that "home health aides and personal care aides should make clients feel comfortable when they tend to personal activities, such as helping a client bathe." Primary care providers also use integrity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "trusted with day-to-day housework, meal preparation, and personal care. "

Interpersonal skills. This is an important skill for primary care providers to perform their duties. For an example of how primary care provider responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "home health aides and personal care aides must work closely with clients." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a primary care provider: "maintain patient care policies and procedures provide a positive environment for patients and their families excellent interpersonal skills".

Physical stamina. primary care provider responsibilities often require "physical stamina." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "home health aides and personal care aides should be comfortable performing physical tasks." This resume example shows what primary care providers do with physical stamina on a typical day: "perform complete physical exams in accordance with national guidelines for age appropriate screenings and recommendations. "

Most common primary care provider skills

The three companies that hire the most primary care providers are:

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Compare different primary care providers

Primary care provider vs. Companion

A companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients. They also monitor the patients' medication, prepare their meals based on a medical professional's prescription, support them on their daily activities, respond to the patients' needs and special requests as allowed, and report any developments to their family or guardians. A companion must be compassionate enough to extend physical and emotional support, depending on the client's condition.

If we compare the average primary care provider annual salary with that of a companion, we find that companions typically earn a $6,176 lower salary than primary care providers make annually.Even though primary care providers and companions are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require patients, patient care, and vital signs in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between primary care providers and companion. For instance, primary care provider responsibilities require skills such as "internal medicine," "family practice," "urgent care," and "np." Whereas a companion is skilled in "companionship," "provide emotional support," "meal prep," and "run errands." This is part of what separates the two careers.

On average, companions reach lower levels of education than primary care providers. Companions are 14.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 7.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.
Learn more about primary care providers vs companions.

Primary care provider vs. Sitter

A sitter is responsible for assisting medical needs under the supervision of an attending physician, registered nurses, and other health professionals. Sitters monitor the patients' daily activities and perform medical duties such as taking the patient's temperature, administering medications, monitoring food intake, helping with bathing needs, and responding to the patients' inquiries, concerns, and requests. They also keep track of medical charts to report the patients' health condition and progress to the senior staff.

On average, sitters earn a $6,698 lower salary than primary care providers a year.A few skills overlap for primary care providers and sitters. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "patients," "vital signs," and "cpr. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, primary care provider responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "internal medicine," "family practice," "patient care," and "urgent care." Meanwhile, a sitter has duties that require skills in areas such as "kids," "patient safety," "pet," and "companionship." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

In general, sitters achieve lower levels of education than primary care providers. They're 15.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 7.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.
Learn more about primary care providers vs sitters.

Primary care provider vs. Aide

Aides are personal employees of their clients who commonly have health issues that render them unable to do certain tasks. They help out their clients with activities they may need assistance in. They may do personal errands such as grocery shopping, cleaning, and cooking. They also provide care for their clients by helping them bathe, dress, brush their teeth, and other personal hygiene activities. Aides also help their clients walk, sit, and eat if their clients' motor functions are compromised. Aides are expected to be patient, caring, and trustworthy.

On average scale, aides bring in lower salaries than primary care providers. In fact, they earn a $7,629 lower salary per year.By looking over several primary care providers and aides resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "patients," "patient care," and "compassion." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from primary care provider resumes include skills like "internal medicine," "family practice," "urgent care," and "np," whereas an aide is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "behavioral issues," "direct supervision," and "alertness. "

When it comes to education, aides tend to earn lower degree levels compared to primary care providers. In fact, they're 13.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 7.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.
Learn more about primary care providers vs aides.

Primary care provider vs. Direct support staff

The direct support staff is an individual who takes responsibility for the overall care of people with developmental disabilities. Direct support professionals work directly with developmental illness patients in long-term health care facilities. They perform their jobs as home health and companion care providers who assist their clients in their daily movements and actions. It is their duty to ensure the comfort and safety of their clients. Also, they encourage behaviors and attitudes which strengthen community inclusion.

Direct support staff average a lower salary than the annual salary of primary care providers. The difference is about $4,154 per year.While both primary care providers and direct support staff complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like patient care, mental health, and vital signs, the two careers vary in some skills.Each job also requires different skills to carry out their responsibilities. A primary care provider uses "patients," "internal medicine," "family practice," and "urgent care." Direct support staff are more likely to have duties that require skills in "direct support," "excellent interpersonal," "team-oriented environment," and "direct care. "The average resume of direct support staff showed that they earn lower levels of education compared to primary care providers. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 14.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 7.4%.
Learn more about primary care providers vs direct support staffs.

Types of primary care provider

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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