Establishing the diagnosis of a disease is often a challenging and crucial process, as all the treatment plans and interventions depend on it. Some diseases follow a very typical course and have a classical presentation, making their diagnosis easy; while, others may have a variable range of symptomatic presentation and associated complications, giving a hard time to the doctor. This is where the doctor’s doctor (internist) is called for help. A doctor who is specialized in the field of internal medicine is called an “Internist”.
What is Internal medicine?
Internal Medicine is a field of medical science that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of internal diseases. The doctors specializing in this field are trained well to handle patients who have complicated and multi-system diseases. The job of an Internist is to provide care to critically ill patients who are hospitalized or in the intensive care units and ambulatory centers. Most of the time, due to this reason, internists are supposed to do their major work in the hospitals beside other doctors, aiding whenever their help is needed.
Broadly, Internal Medicine can be classified into:
- General Internal Medicine
- Internal Medicine subspecialties
General Internal Medicine:
General Internists are doctors that deal with an extensive and broad spectrum of illnesses affecting adults. They aid in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic ailments and promote health and prevention of diseases. The duty of a general internist is not specified to a particular medical issue or an organ system; instead, these doctors handle all kinds of problems a patient is facing with their well-being. They solve puzzling diagnostic difficulties, manage chronic diseases, and situations when several diseases are compounded and are presenting together. They have a broad vision of seeing disease and then treating it appropriately.
It is important to note that, though general internists do provide primary care and long-term follow-up to their patients, they are not “General Practitioner” or a “Family Physician”. Some general internists opt to practice in the hospitals and referred to as “Hospitalists”; while, others provide their services in the rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, or other clinical settings.
Internal Medicine Subspecialties:
Internal medicine sub-specialized doctors are those who are skilled to handle all issues of a particular organ. These doctors provide their services in a specific field of internal medicine and are referred by their area of subspecialty; for instance, doctors who are skilled in the field of neurology are called neurologists, similarly, those trained in cardiology are cardiologist. The advantage of further training in a particular field is that these doctors have a broad and deep understanding, which qualifies them for managing complex medical issues. By virtue of their expertise in a particular field, they can also perform advanced clinical procedures.
What is the Role of an Internal Medicine Doctor in Medical care?
An Internal Medicine Doctor is an essential part of the healthcare team. The internist provides comprehensive care to the patients having illnesses of varying severities and durations. The duties of an Internal Medicine doctor include:
- Provide primary care
Internists provide primary care to their patients who are admitted to the hospital or are in other clinical settings. They treat all the symptoms, risk factors, associated illnesses, and long-term complications of disease together. The idea of Internal medicine is that instead of making the patient visit a number of doctors, solving all their problems in the guidance of a single person.
- Follow-up of chronic illnesses
Chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, autoimmune pathologies, etc. require long-term follow-up. Their management is difficult as there are often flare-ups and superimposed complications in these disorders. Internists handle the problems of these patients throughout their life, giving them advice, and providing various interventions to improve their quality of life. Internists also maintain a healthy doctor-patient relationship, so that the patients are comfortable and confident in sharing the details about their illnesses.
- Give medical advice
The extensive medical knowledge and understanding of complex disease interactions with a wide range of symptomatic presentations make an internist the best person to seek medical advice from. They also give suggestions to the teams of other doctors, who are treating patients in other fields of medicine. For example, a patient who is a known case of diabetes when admitted for foot surgery may need to have medical advice, regarding safety concerns and expected outcomes, from the internist before the operation.
- Helps in making a diagnosis
The presentation of some diseases is puzzling, often baffling the doctor who is making the diagnosis. Internists utilize their extensive knowledge and experience, here, to solve the mystery of chronic ailments that are not what they seem. They help in making the correct diagnosis and giving appropriate treatment plans.
- Perform Medical procedures
Internists, sub-specialized in the particular field of internal medicine, can perform medical procedures of that particular specialty. For example, gastroenterologists can do an endoscopy. The procedures can be therapeutic or diagnostic.
Family Medicine vs. Internal Medicine
Before selecting the doctor and making an appointment with them, it is important to know whether the services they provide come under the field of internal medicine or family medicine. The fundamental difference between the doctors trained in internal medicine and family medicine is that internists are well-trained to deal with the problem of adults; while, the family practitioner can treat ailments in patients of all ages. Further, internists are more focused on the specific needs of adults. Family medicine doctors are specialized to give general outpatient care, manage acute illnesses, and flare-ups of chronic disorders.
Internists can have further training and improve their skills in the management of the disorders of a particular organ system. They provide their services in-patient and manage complicated emergency situations in hospitals. Also, an in-depth understanding of various pathologies makes them perfect for outpatient services too.
Looking for an Internal Medicine Doctor?
Dr. Natalia Elias, (all her qualification), is practicing Internal Medicine in Mexicali, Baja California. She is an ideal choice if you are struggling to get your condition diagnosed or seeking an immediate second opinion.
If you are looking for an Internal Medicine Doctor in the Imperial Valley, Calexico, El Centro area in California, Yuma, Arizona, or in the Mexicali, contact us today to book your appointment with Doctor Naty.