Understanding The Difference Between Internal Medicine And Family Medicine

No matter where you live, it’s important that you have a go-to doctor who can quickly diagnose your medical condition and provide you the right treatment. However, when searching for the right doctor, many people often get confused between internal medicine physicians and family medicine doctors. If you do too, then this post is a must read for you as we help you navigate through the differences between the two specialties so that you can make a better choice about which doctor should be one’s preference.

• Primary Focus

Mostly people get confused because of the overlapping of the patient population that both specialties focus on. It is estimated that family medicine practitioners see 10 to 15 percent children and 85 to 90 percent adults. Due to the lack of training in caring for children, internists diagnose and treat a wide spectrum of medical conditions and diseases that affect only the adult population.

On the other hand, family care revolves around a social unit—the family. As such, family doctors in Illinois are trained to deal with the medical issues of all ages of people in the family—children, adults, and seniors.

• Care Approach

Internists are trained and educated to provide inpatient and outpatient care.  This means that they can offer care to both women and men in both office and hospital settings.

Though family care doctors are trained in both inpatient and outpatient care, they primarily focus on general outpatient services in comparison to inpatient services. Their outpatient services include diagnosis and management of acute and chronic conditions along with wellness care. Due to there being another doctor taking care of patients in an inpatient setting, there tends to be more coordination of care, and fewer things get missed.

Which One to Choose?

If you are single and an adult, then it is reasonable to choose either of the two. However, if you have a family, then choosing a reliable family care physician in your local area is a wise decision as a family care doctor can provide quality treatment to all your loved ones.

At Health Solutions—Tinley Park, Illinois we have a team of courteous and experienced family medicine doctors. We offer a comprehensive range of treatments with a holistic care approach. Call on +1.7088029355 to schedule an appointment with our experienced family care doctor today.