sisätaudit

Sisätaudit, or internal medicine, is a medical specialty focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and non-surgical treatment of diseases in adults. Internists provide comprehensive, longitudinal care for adults with common and complex multisystem illnesses, and they often serve as hospital consultants and as primary physicians for adults with undifferentiated or chronic conditions. The specialty emphasizes broad diagnostic reasoning, coordination of care across specialties, and an emphasis on disease prevention and management of chronic illness.

The scope covers conditions affecting virtually every organ system, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory disorders, gastrointestinal and liver diseases, diabetes and other endocrine disorders, kidney and electrolyte problems, hematologic and oncologic diseases, infectious diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, and geriatric syndromes. Subspecialities include cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, rheumatology, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, and geriatric medicine, among others.

Diagnosis commonly relies on thorough history and physical examination, targeted laboratory testing, imaging, and therapeutic trials; many cases require integrated care plans, hospital-based management, and, when needed, procedures performed in coordination with other specialists. Prevention and management of chronic disease are core activities.

Training in sisätaudit in Finland involves completing a medical degree and a Finnish specialty training in internal medicine, typically through hospital-based residency programs with rotations across subspecialties, followed by board certification. Many internists further pursue fellowships to subspecialize. The role of sisätaudit includes patient care in inpatient and outpatient settings, teaching, and research, contributing to primary care through consultation services and continuity of care for adults.