Family medicine
Also called general medicine. It covers children, adults and the elderly. Each age group has its own specific diseases, so a general practitioner must know a wide range of diseases and be able to treat them.
Since the general practitioner is the first to detect the symptoms of the disease, conduct diagnosis and treatment, he or she should be a doctor with the widest possible professional experience.
A family doctor should have extensive experience in pediatrics. This means that he should have knowledge about the proper development of a child and specific diseases of this age. The most common changes in infancy and childhood are colic, allergies, food intolerances, eczema, infectious diseases. Often, a wrong diagnosis or improper treatment can lead to chronic conditions. For example, a chronic and untreated respiratory infection may result in asthma.
A general practitioner treats adults. Therefore, he should have extensive knowledge in the field of internal diseases, infectious diseases, surgery, dermatology, oncology, neurology, and psychiatry. Must be able to efficiently use diagnostic tools such as ECG and ultrasound and be able to interpret the results of laboratory diagnostic tests. Depending on the type of disease, the general practitioner should skillfully select further procedures and treatment. In doubtful situations, a referral to a consultant doctor may be made. If the condition requires it, he should refer the patient to hospital. However, the main tool of a general practitioner is pharmacotherapy. Proper administration of medications significantly speeds up the treatment and recovery process.
Diseases of the elderly constitute a separate group. Due to the aging process, the immune system, bone and joint system, circulatory system, digestive system and nervous system function worse. Elderly people are often exposed to degenerative, rheumatic, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative and dementia diseases, which require specific therapeutic procedures. Due to their reduced capacity, older people require appropriate care and attention.
General practitioner conduct
A visit to a general practitioner is characterized by a specific algorithm. During the visit, the doctor collects information about the current disease, may ask about additional circumstances related to the disease, diseases occurring in the family and about currently taken medications. He should also collect information about allergies to specific types of drugs. Then the doctor performs a physical examination. This test most often concerns the reported symptoms. After making a preliminary diagnosis, the doctor may refer us for additional tests, both in terms of laboratory tests and imaging. In some cases, the doctor will refer us to a consultant in the appropriate specialization (e.g. gastroenterology, urology, cardiology, etc.). Usually, during the visit, we receive prescriptions for specific medications. The doctor can also issue sick leave from work, health certificates, and leave from school. He often has to fill out specific forms related to obtaining a driving license (D4 forms) and insurance forms. They are usually preceded by an appropriate examination.
Patients respond to treatment to varying degrees. Therefore, it is advisable to perform a follow-up visit to determine the degree of improvement or to extend or modify the implemented treatment.
