General Medicine

General medicine physicians, also known as internal medicine specialists, are consultants who care for patients with acute medical illnesses, complications of chronic diseases and patients needing investigation of undiagnosed illnesses. They have expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex and chronic disorders and are specially trained in treating problems that affect multiple body systems in patients.

At Joondalup Health Campus (JHC) the general medicine physicians work across various medical wards, the Telemetry Care Unit and the Medical Assessment Unit (MAU). They care for a variety of patients including those with difficult, serious or unusual medical problems, and continue to see the patient until these problems have stabilised or been resolved. They may collaborate with other specialties as well as allied health departments to manage the patient in a holistic manner.

General medicine physicians are knowledgeable about complex interactions of medications given simultaneously to treat multiple illnesses in a patient. They work closely with other sub-specialists such as haematologists or cardiologists to optimise the care of the patient.

Emergency Department patients requiring admission for ongoing management by general medicine physicians are transferred to the Medical Assessment Unit for review by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, pharmacists, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and dietitians.

General medicine physicians can be asked to review patients before surgery to provide advice of a patient's risk status and can recommend appropriate management to minimise the risk of the operation. They can also assist in postoperative care and managing ongoing medical problems or complications.

More information about the general medicine physicians at Joondalup Health Campus is available here.