Why Did You Send Me To a Specialist?

One in three patients is usually sent to a specialist in primary care. You will know this because the doctor issues a GP Referral where he recommends that you schedule an appointment with a doctor who did additional studies in a certain specialty. (1)

But what is each specialty responsible for? Here we tell you about some specialties:

1. Pathological Anatomy: It deals with the study of the causes of the development and the consequences of the diseases by means of morphological techniques.
2. Anesthesiology: Anesthesiology is the practice of medicine that involves the care of patients before and after surgery and the treatment of pain.
3. Audiology, Otoneurology, and Phoniatrics: Specialty that studies the normality and pathology of hearing, voice, language, learning, and balance.
4. Quality of Clinical Care: Specialty that focuses on guaranteeing quality, safety, and self-sustainability of health services, through the management of health resources and infrastructure.
5. General Surgery: General surgery covers a wide variety of diseases such as breast cancers, endocrine glands, skin and gastrointestinal tract, trauma care and burns, among others.
6. Epidemiology: Specialty that studies the frequency and distribution of diseases and their determinants in a population.
7. Medical Genetics: Is the specialist trained in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients with diseases of genetic origin.
8. Geriatrics: Geriatricians focus on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of diseases in the elderly.
9. Gynecology and Obstetrics: This medical practice provides medical care to women throughout their lives, including childbirth and gynecological surgery.
10. Imaging, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics: It deals with generating images of the interior of the body through X-rays, ultrasounds, magnetic fields, and other physical agents for the diagnosis of diseases.
11. Medicine of Physical and Sports Activity: It treats the effects of the exercise of sport and physical activity in the human organism, from the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries.
12. Family Medicine: A family physician is trained to provide care to patients and their families with a focus on their community.
13. Internal Medicine: An internist provides comprehensive long-term care in diseases such as cancer, infections, and diseases that affect the heart, blood, kidneys, joints, and the digestive, respiratory, and vascular systems.
14. Legal Medicine: A legal doctor is the holder of practical, theoretical and formative knowledge for the optimal management of legal medical situations that may arise and is responsible for giving them follow-up.
15. Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging: Nuclear Medicine is a medical specialty that is dedicated to perform diagnostic studies and treat diseases in a safe and effective way using small amounts of radioactive material.
16. Preventive Medicine: It focuses on the health of individuals and populations defined in order to protect, promote and maintain their health to prevent disease, disability, and premature death.
17. Rehabilitation Medicine: It is the medical specialty related to the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of patients with physical disabilities.
18. Occupational and Environmental Medicine: Medical specialty dedicated to diseases and accidents that occur due to the cause or consequence of work activity.
19. Emergency Medicine: Emergencyphysicians focus on rapid diagnosis, initial resuscitation and treatment of patients' diseases.
20. Pneumology: Treats diseases of the respiratory system and focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases of the lung, pleura, and mediastinum.
21. Ophthalmology: Ophthalmologists are medically trained to diagnose, monitor, and treat medically or surgically all eye and visual disorders.
22. Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery: Otolaryngologists address diseases and disorders of the ear, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck.
23. Clinical pathology: Clinical pathologists are experts in the biochemical, physiological and histological changes that indicate the nature of the disease.
24. Pediatrics: Pediatricians focus on caring for children from birth to 21 years of age.
25. Psychiatry: A psychiatrist specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental, addictive and emotional disorders.
26. Radio Oncology: Oncologists focus on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
27. Traumatology and Orthopedics: It is the medical specialty that is dedicated to the study of injuries of the locomotor system. (2)