What are the levels of care?

• A. Quaternary, Tertiary, Secondary
• B. Primary, Tertiary, Secondary
• C. Secondary, Tertiary, Primary
• D. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary

Answer: (D)

Care levels describe how healthcare escalates from general, first-contact services to highly specialized treatment. Primary care is the first point of contact, focusing on general health, prevention, and routine management. When more specialized knowledge or procedures are needed, patients move to secondary care, which involves specialists and hospital-based services. If the condition requires highly advanced or complex treatment, care shifts to tertiary level, provided by specialized centers with advanced technologies and multidisciplinary teams. Some models include a further level called quaternary care for experimental or highly specialized interventions, but the standard three levels are primary, secondary, and tertiary in that order. So the sequence Primary, Secondary, Tertiary reflects increasing complexity and intensity of care.