Functional diagnostics doctor

Despite the fact that today any physician – an emergency doctor, therapist or narrow specialist must have the skills to study and identify the main types of disorders in the functioning of organs and systems in the human body, the allocation of the field of functional diagnostics to a separate medical specialization is fully justified. After all, the work of the human body is a complex interrelated process, and if there are violations in the work of one organ, this inevitably affects the functioning of all other systems, and general well-being. That is why the doctor’s activity, aimed at elucidating the functional and adaptive capabilities of each organ, as well as determining the mechanism for the development of pathologies, is an independent field of medical science, which is called functional diagnostics. A doctor of functional diagnostics or a functional diagnostician is a medical worker with a higher education who has completed postgraduate training (internship, residency) in the relevant specialty.

What does a functional diagnostician do?

The Diagnostic Specialist is responsible for examining the systems of the human body: respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, digestive, reproductive, urinary. In the process of studying and analyzing their performance indicators, the doctor collects information about the presence or absence of changes and deviations from the norm. The doctor not only directly diagnoses with the help of special instruments and devices, but also carries out a clinical interpretation of the data obtained, and can also periodically monitor the dynamics of the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. Based on the information received, interpreted and systematized by the functional diagnostician, narrow specialists, for example, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, can treat the patient.

This doctor must have many general medical skills, knowledge and skills, for example, understand the legal framework governing medical activities in general and the work of a particular medical institution; understand the pathogenetic mechanism and etiology of the appearance and development of pathological processes, the clinical features of their manifestation, the specifics of the course of various diseases; own methods for identifying common and specific symptoms of various ailments; have an understanding of the general principles of complex therapy of diseases and pathologies.

Specific knowledge that a doctor of functional diagnostics should have:

• fundamental principles, methods and methods of clinical, instrumental and laboratory diagnostics of the human body;
• metrological characteristics of the equipment used in the process of diagnostics;
• rules for organizing work and instrumental support of the diagnostic department or office.

The powers and responsibilities of this specialist include:

• organization and control over the process of implementation of the relevant functional research by the staff of the cabinet or department subordinate to him;
• checking the correctness of data acquisition by equipment;
• analysis of completed studies, issuance of conclusions on them;
• organization of information sessions on functional diagnostics with doctors of the relevant medical institution;
• discussion of the data obtained as a result of diagnostics with other physicians, their consultation on functional diagnostics;
• ensuring the maintenance of primary medical records.

As for direct interaction with patients, the doctor gradually performs the following functions:

• preventive examinations of patients at risk to identify possible diseases in the early stages;
• identification and evaluation of functional and anatomical pathologies and deviations of internal organs and systems;
• surveys to identify the dynamics of changes in the body in the process of therapeutic therapy;
• implementation of drug, functional and stress testing to select the most appropriate therapy option;
• analysis of the effectiveness of the prescribed and conducted therapy;
• examinations in a dispensary, preoperative and postoperative examinations;
• preparation and issuance of advisory opinions.

What is the difference between a functional diagnostician and a therapist

Many patients are confused by the situation when the attending physician, the therapist sends him to the doctor of functional diagnostics for examinations. This fact usually causes bewilderment, since, in fact, the therapist himself must be a diagnostician, he identifies and fixes the presence of various diseases. In addition, a functional diagnostician, like a therapist, specializes in the health of the entire human body as a single system.

However, there are serious differences in their qualifications and methods of work. Firstly, a diagnostician can be considered as such only after additional training and practice in this specialty, in addition to higher medical education. Secondly, this doctor, unlike the therapist, does not prescribe treatment. Specifically, his “element” is precisely the study of the functional features of the body, analysis and clinical interpretation of the data obtained, and the issuance of conclusions on them. The diagnostician can consult the attending physician and take part in the development of a treatment regimen. Thirdly, the diagnostician not only determines the methods and procedure for examining a particular patient, but can also independently carry out certain types of diagnostics using special medical equipment. In addition, the knowledge of a diagnostician in the field of applied technologies for examining a patient is deeper and more specific.

The doctor, depending on the available merits, work experience, knowledge and skills, can be assigned qualification categories:

• second;
• first;
• higher.

What organs and parts of the body are studied by the doctor, what diseases are determined

It is important to understand that the doctor of functional diagnostics is not directly involved in the treatment of pathologies and disorders in the functioning of organs and systems. The scope of his activity is the study of the state of the whole organism in the complex and its individual parts:

• respiratory organs;
• gastrointestinal tract;
• endocrine system;
• heart and blood vessels;
• nervous system;
• organs of the reproductive and urinary systems.

Most often, patients sent there by the attending physician get to the functional diagnostics room. In this case, even if the doctor has no doubts about the diagnosis, there are some aspects and features of the course of the disease that need to be confirmed or refuted. Thus, a specialist in functional diagnostics has to deal with symptoms, manifestations and indicators of diseases of almost any etiology and nature at different stages of the pathological process. Although some ailments, for example, oncological or psychiatric diseases, are studied and diagnosed by specialized specialists.

In what cases and for what symptoms it is necessary to visit a doctor of functional diagnostics

This specialist mainly works with patients who are referred to him by his colleagues – in such cases, we are talking about situations where the attending physician needs instrumental confirmation of the diagnosis.

Other reasons for visiting a doctor include routine check-ups and preventive diagnostics. Children and adults can undergo regular comprehensive examinations by a diagnostician, regardless of whether they are being treated by a specialist or not.

In addition, a visit to this doctor is recommended in such cases:

• before long and long journeys, especially to countries with unusual climate or epidemiological conditions;
• before planning pregnancy;
• before carrying out complex recreational activities: before visiting sanatoriums, medical resorts;
• before starting active sports.

The appearance of disturbing and unusual symptoms, a general deterioration in well-being, ailments of unknown origin is also the basis for consulting a functional diagnostician, although it would be more advisable to first contact a therapist.

What examination methods does the doctor use in his work?

The main activity of this specialist is the diagnosis of any pathological conditions and deviations in the work of the human body. In his work, he uses all the modern achievements of medical science, computer technology, biology, anatomy, chemistry, radiology, and physics.

If the attending general practitioner or narrow specialist has not previously prescribed any examinations, you should prepare before visiting a functional diagnostics doctor. In some cases, it may be necessary to first pass a general blood test with a mandatory determination of the level of hemoglobin, undergo electrocardiography and echocardiography procedures, do fluorography and fibrogastroduodenoscopy. Such analyzes and examinations can also take place in parallel with the process of conducting functional diagnostics.

Special preparation and preliminary testing is not required before ultrasound of the thyroid gland, lymph nodes and salivary glands, echocardiography, duplex ultrasound scanning of the vessels of the extremities.

When a patient first gets an appointment with a functional diagnostician, the doctor first conducts a survey and examination of the patient, during which, using his own knowledge, experience and skills, he studies and analyzes the information received. During the interview, he manages to find out the subjective manifestations of the disease, which became the reason for going to the doctor, while during the examination he receives objective information about the symptoms of the disease (changes in heart rate, temperature, test results, and other factors). Examining the patient, the doctor pays attention to the appearance of the skin and mucous membranes, examines the condition of the oral cavity and eyes, palpates the abdominal organs, lymph nodes.

The main diagnostic methods used by a doctor can be divided into the following types:

• examination of the heart includes electrocardiography (ECG) in 12 leads, Holter monitoring (24-hour continuous recording) ECG, daily monitoring of blood pressure, bicycle ergometry, echocardiography (EchoCG);
• study of the state of the vascular system by means of Doppler ultrasound (USDG) of the cerebral vessels, USDG of the arteries of the upper and lower extremities, rheovasography;
• study of the functional state of external respiration, which consists in conducting spirometry of inhalation provocative tests with the selection of effective bronchodilators, peak flowmetry (for the purpose of early detection and control of violations of the function of external respiration in bronchial asthma);
• assessment and analysis of the state of the nervous system – for this, the patient undergoes electroencephalography (EEG), including computer EEG with mapping of pathological brain foci, electromyography.

There are more specific methods of examination, for example, dopplerography of the heart, transesophageal pacing, variational pulsometry, pneumotachometry, reopletismography, endoradio sounding.

Many of these techniques are completely unfamiliar to the layman, and even therapists and narrow specialists cannot always say for sure when they should be performed. This is the value of a doctor of functional diagnostics – he knows exactly what examinations can be used to obtain information, for example, on the level of vascular tone, phases of the cardiac cycle, venous and arterial pressure, and how to dispose of it later for the benefit of the patient who applied.

Functional diagnostics is a branch of medicine that is responsible for the study of pathological conditions of organs and systems in the human body, features and disorders in their work. The information obtained in the process of applying the practical principles and methods of this medical industry is of great importance for the entire treatment process, because the diagnosis is often based on the data of the diagnostic examination. That is why the importance of the medical activity of a functional diagnostician is difficult to overestimate.