Primary team
Formal Definition
The physician team primarily responsible for a patient's care during a hospitalization, to whom consulting services report recommendations and from whom all care coordination originates.
How It's Used on the Ward
"The primary team" or "run it by the primary" — consultants defer ultimate clinical decisions to the primary team unless it is their specialty domain.
Example
""Cardiology consult note: 'We recommend starting anticoagulation for new atrial fibrillation pending primary team review of bleeding risk given recent GI bleed 10 days ago.'""
Clinical Context
The primary team owns the patient. Consultants advise; they don't implement unless explicitly asked to take over. If a consultant recommends something and the primary disagrees, the primary decides. Understanding this hierarchy prevents confusion about who orders what and who to call when things change overnight.
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