The buzz phrase in the health industry lately is preventive care.

Visit your primary physician often so he or she can detect health problems early.

The earlier you're treated the less likely you'll have expensive complications later. But at least one new survey is disputing this belief.

Dartmouth Atlas Project found that improving access to primary care alone doesn't necessarily keep people with chronic conditions out of the hospital or improve health outcomes.

The researchers found that the quality of care is more important. They also found that primary care physicians need to coordinate with a patient's specialists, nurses and hospital.

The study looked at the fee-for-service Medicare population from 2003 to 2007.

Among the findings:

1. There was no correlation between rates of breast cancer screening and the amount of primary care delivered.

2. There was no correlation between the rate of leg amputation, a complication of diabetes and other diseases, and a patient having at least one annual visit with a primary care physician.

3. Having an annual primary care visit did not keep patients out of the hospital for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions such as diabetes and congestive heart failure.

The researchers said that the patients who really need primary care may not be receiving it - or not receiving it frequently enough.

They also said primary care is most effective when it’s part of a coordinated effort between specialists and hospitals. That kind of coordination isn't easy to achieve in many areas of the country.

Quality also varies by doctor. Visiting a primary-care doc who’s not giving good care won't improve a person's health, according to the researchers.