The following can be regarded as the five essential features of COPC:
1.
The use of epidemiologic and clinical skills as complementary functions; both the epidemiologic and the clinical activities should be of as high a standard as possible.
2.
Definition of the population for which the service is or feels responsible. This defined population is the target population for surveillance and care and the denominator population for the measurement of health status and needs and the evaluation of the service.
3.
Defined programs to deal with the health problems of the community or its subgroups, within the framework of primary care. These community health programs may involve health promotion, primary or secondary prevention, curative, alleviative or rehabilitative care, or any combinations of these activities. The programs are based on the epidemiologic findings.
4.
Involvement of the community in the promotion of its health. Community involvement may be seen as a prerequisite for the satisfactory and continued functioning of a COPC service.
5.
Accessibility that is not limited to geographic accessibility (the COPC practice should ideally be located in the community it serves) but that refers also to the absence of fiscal, social, cultural, communication, or other barriers.