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Who is a general physician?

General physicians are medical doctors who provide a broad range of non-surgical medical expertise and health care to patients. Most general physicians treat hospitalised patients, while others treat patients through their private consultations. 

Who is an internal medicine physician?

An Internal medicine physician is a medical doctor who is highly proficient in internal medicine. These physicians mainly focus on diagnosing, preventing, and treating diseases or injuries. They are specifically trained in detecting and treating common illnesses, chronic and acute illnesses, and other complicated diagnostic problems. Internal medicine physicians treat adults with generic medications, although they undergo frequent training in subspecialties such as infectious diseases.

When should you consult a general physician?

General physicians provide treatment for a particular medical condition and holistic health care for all patients. 

Roles of a general physician

• Complicated care: General physicians are trained to treat patients with complex illnesses where the diagnosis can be difficult. A general physician’s broad training offers proficiency in the detection and treatment of medical conditions affecting different parts of the body. 
• Medical procedures: A general physician is trained to carry out different medical procedures and monitors patients with serious and complex illnesses.
• Detection: General physicians are trained in the usefulness, costs, and limitations of most diagnostic tests. They use these diagnostic tests safely, logically and effectively to inspect difficult diagnostic issues.
• Treatment: General physicians are specialised in the detailed analysis of all research reports and drug industry claims about the new treatments. They are proficient in making decisions related to treating patients with complex and severe illnesses.
• Pre and post-operative examination: General physicians are often asked to review their patients before surgery. They advise all the surgeons about the patient’s risk status and refer to proper management to lower the risk of the operation. 

What medical conditions can general physicians treat?

A general physician can treat various health conditions. Some of them include:

• Asthma
• Viral fever
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Pneumonia
• Lung fibrosis
• High blood pressure
• Respiratory disorders
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• Dementia
• Gastroenteritis
• Liver disease
• Haematological disorders
• Epilepsy
• Thyroid disorders
• Anaemia
• Diabetes
• Pituitary disease

What all tests can a general physician tell you?

General physicians may plan for several assessments that are suitable as per the medical condition. They perform several tests, including:

• MRIs, CT scan
• Blood glucose levels
• Electrocardiogram i.e. ECG
• Viral markers test
• Urine analysis
• Complete blood count
• Faecal occult blood test
• Renal function test
• Lipid and thyroid profile
• Liver function test

Laboratory assessments such as blood tests are also included, which are specific to the health condition that a patient may be experiencing. A small piece of tissue or biopsy may be required for diagnosis occasionally, which is later submitted to a pathologist for a complete assessment. X-rays, ultrasound, CT scans, and MRI are a part of the inspection procedure, and these imaging tests are performed by radiologists. Hence, a general physician may recommend a patient to a specialist for further testing if the condition becomes complicated and cannot be treated with medications.

Why choose a general physician?

The combination of knowledge, skills, and training differentiates general physicians from other medical doctors. However, through an accurate and extensive training program, general physicians are:
Extensively educated to deal with the broad range of the patient’s medical conditions.
Coherent, comprehensive, and experimental in their approach to providing an expert diagnosis.
Able to determine and choose medicines and other medical therapies carefully, to prevent and treat a particular disease.
Highly qualified in clinical decision making and practical use of declining healthcare resources.

Where to find a general physician?

You can easily consult the best general physician/internal medicine practitioner using the Apollo 24|7 app or website. Browse experienced general practitioners to help you monitor and treat complex illnesses, and book your slot from the comfort of your home.