Medical treatment is any approach that health care providers use to control a medical problem, lessen its symptoms or clear it up. A cure is when a treatment makes the condition go away for good. Treatments may include medicines, therapies or surgery. Some treatments are preventive, such as regular pap smears or vaccinations against common illnesses like tetanus or influenza. Other treatments are therapeutic, such as acupuncture or massage therapy. Still others are diagnostic, such as an endoscopy or a biopsy. Health care professionals also provide supportive care, such as counseling or home care services for people with chronic conditions.
Modern medicine requires a large number of highly trained health professionals working together as interdisciplinary teams. Nurses, emergency medical technicians and paramedics, laboratory scientists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, psychologists, dietitians and biomedical engineers all contribute to the delivery of health care. Medical physicists and radiologists are involved in the diagnostic process as well, using imaging equipment to create pictures of body structures and help physicians find the cause of a patient’s illness.
Primary care, family medicine, general practice or community medicine is a branch of health care that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of non-emergency medical problems in all ages of men and women. Primary care providers are physicians, physician assistants or nurse practitioners and can be found in clinics, hospitals and at patients’ homes. The majority of visits to health care providers are for primary care needs.
A patient’s health history is one of the most important parts of a medical encounter. This includes a description of the patient’s chief complaint, or presenting problem; family history (FH), which is the listing of diseases in a patient’s family; and social history, such as the patient’s occupation, hobbies and living situation. All of this information is used to develop a list of possible diagnoses and a plan for treatment. This process is called medical decision making, and it’s the foundation for all subsequent treatments, including follow-up visits and specialist consultations. In some cases, patients are referred to large academic centers for second opinions on their ailments. This is a great way to take advantage of cutting-edge research into diseases such as cancer or multiple sclerosis. It can also be an effective way to lower costs by avoiding unnecessary procedures or tests. In many cases, a patient’s insurance company will cover a visit to a major medical center for a second opinion at no extra cost.