Urology for Primary Care: Introduction

The primary care physician is the first person most patients approach when seeking evaluation and treatment for health concerns. This visit to the primary care physician may lead to further testing, referral to a specialist, or diagnosis and treatment. Today, primary care physicians are likely to consider initiating a treatment plan for common urological conditions that, in the past, required referral to a specialist. The availability of medications for many of these conditions has moved the primary care practitioner into an expanded role of care delivery.

Click here to read a foreward by the editor, Dr. Richard Pelman, MD

The following common urological conditions now fall within the scope of primary care:

	Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)
	Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS)
	Urinary tract infections (UTI)
	Lower abdominal/pelvic pain
	Neurogenic bladder
	Urinary retention
	Overactive bladder (including urinary urgency with or without urge incontinence, also including urinary frequency and nocturia)
	Erectile dysfunction
	Initial diagnosis of other urinary conditions such as hematuria, urinary calculus disease, et cetera

A variety of diagnostic tools are available to help physicians arrive at the correct therapeutic conclusion for common urological problems. Urologists have used these tools for a long time, and primary care physicians are becoming increasingly aware of them. Click here for a terminology and overview of current urological diagnostic tools.

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