General Internal Medicine is a speciality dedicated to the comprehensive care of adults, focused on the diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of diseases that affect their organs and internal systems, as well as their prevention.

General Internal Physicians provide diagnosis and treatment but also reinforce disease prevention and health improvements, especially in patients with multi-system diseases.

The General Internal Physician’s comprehensive training enables them to perform the role of general physician with the capacity to address the clinical problems in the majority of patients. Their role is not limited to that of coordination and referrals, required for some conditions, but also includes taking full responsibility for the care and treatment of all their patients, consulting with other specialists when necessary.

The General Internal Physician maintains a more overall perspective and examines patients in a holistic manner.

In 75% of cases, the patient may be confused by the symptoms of their condition and seek the wrong specialist. For example, heart palpitations may not only be due to a heart problem, they may also occur due to thyroid dysfunction, anxiety disorders or blood electrolyte imbalances.

A General Internal Physician is able to diagnose and treat conditions and also, whenever necessary, refer to the appropriate specialist.

During the consultation, the doctor will talk and listen to the patient, taking a complete medical history including personal and family history. They will question you about your lifestyle, your emotional and social circumstances, your allergies, and your ongoing treatments.

They will analyse your symptoms, their chronology, their intensity, the time of their appearance, and their features. By performing a full clinical examination, a diagnosis may even be possible at the initial consultation, this will then be confirmed, if necessary, by laboratory analysis and imaging tests.

A decision will be taken regarding partial or definitive treatment depending on the certainty of the diagnosis.

HC Marbella’s Department of General Internal Medicine specialises in a wide range of non-surgical, medical healthcare services providing physical examination, preventive examination, and the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular, infectious, rheumatological and autoimmune diseases.

HC’s General Internal Physicians offer comprehensive and flexible treatment, providing the highest standard of care to patients with multiple conditions and symptoms, as well as helping patients who are on a variety of medications to ensure that each drug is necessary and without interaction.

Direct communication and collaboration with other specialists facilitates cross-disciplinary referrals and multidisciplinary-team working.

HC’s facilities include the latest imaging technology, an in-house laboratory and surgical unit; these facilitate rapid execution of further investigations such as laboratory analysis, serology, radiological studies (MRI, ultrasound, X-ray, CT, PET-CT) and endoscopies, when necessary, for the diagnosis and monitoring of different processes.

Patients who require admission are able to receive appropriate hospital care.