Comprehensive internal medicine is a branch of medicine that is somewhat different from regular internal medicine and covers a wider field of care and prevention. Regular internal medicine was set up and designed to take care of multiple patient issues; however, over time the field expanded to cover a more comprehensive range of services and comprehensive internal medicine was instituted. A physician, or internist working in this field has the ability to be a highly trained clinician, diagnostics expert, and effective communicator among other disciplines. He is able to monitor his patients from the examination room to the hospital, if necessary. His field of medical expertise covers many complex illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, as well as some of the more common ailments.
An internist working within the comprehensive internal medicine field is usually not expected to have intensive knowledge on all medical conditions. He will, however, have a well-rounded understanding of most medical issues that could arise in any given patient. His office will have the ability to fully research illnesses that he is not entirely expert on. One of the keys to comprehensive internal medicine is the overall management plan for a patient once a diagnosis has been made. Whereas specialized doctors will deal with a particular field, the internist is required to have a wide, general knowledge that can cross over and combine issues that could arise within many specialized medical fields.
Another important aspect of comprehensive internal medicine is patient advocacy. The medical field can get highly fragmented for a patient, and with conflicting diagnosis and treatments, so an internist not only can keep abreast of cutting edge solutions, but also coordinate this for their patients for their long-term health. Many times it will be another person in the office that will actually handle the research and coordination aspects, allowing the internist to take care of his primary task of diagnosing and treating illness.
Computer and research technology is another vital part of this field. Most medical offices have state of the art computers and software; however, the ability to utilize them as cutting edge tools is lacking in some instances. Comprehensive internal medicine, and physicians, typically use these systems to keep on top of new medical theories and treatments, all with their own personal patients in mind.