Knowra Internal medicine Internal medicine Internal medicine is the medical specialty focused on preventing, diagnosing, and treating diseases in adults, primarily through nonsurgical care. Physicians trained in it are called internists.
Internist : A physician trained to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases in adults, usually through nonsurgical care. Internists are the physicians who practice this specialty.
Hospital medicine : The practice of caring for hospitalized patients, commonly led by physicians called hospitalists. Hospital medicine is a major setting for general internal medicine.
General surgery : The surgical specialty that treats a wide range of diseases and injuries through operative procedures. It contrasts with internal medicine’s primarily nonsurgical approach.
Cardiology : The medical specialty concerned with diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Internists refer complex cardiovascular disease to this adult-medicine subspecialty.
Differential diagnosis : A reasoned list of possible causes for a patient’s signs and symptoms, refined through evidence. Internists use it to distinguish among diseases that present similarly.
Ambulatory care : Medical care delivered without an overnight hospital stay, including office and clinic visits. Internists diagnose and manage many adult conditions in outpatient clinics.
Family medicine : A medical specialty providing comprehensive care across ages, often for individuals and families over time. Unlike internal medicine, it includes children as well as adults in its scope.
Gastroenterology : The specialty focused on diseases of the digestive tract and related organs. It develops expertise in digestive conditions encountered in general adult care.
Medical history : A structured account of a patient’s symptoms, health conditions, medications, and relevant past experiences. Taking a history helps internists frame diagnostic possibilities and treatment choices.
Chronic disease management : The coordinated, ongoing care used to control long-lasting conditions and reduce their complications. Long-term management of conditions such as diabetes is central to adult medicine.
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