Depending on your age and health status, your internal medicine physician may request that you provide a blood or urine sample at the time of your visit. 

Your physician will have these samples drawn by an expert technician, who will the send these samples to a certified laboratory facility to be analyzed.

Some blood samples, such as cholesterol and sugar testing, should be obtained in a fasting state (no food 8 hours prior to the blood work).  Much of the other routine testing can be done at any time of the day during normal clinic hours of operation.

Preventive Health (Annual Check-Up)

Many internal medicine physicians follow guidelines for testing for preventive health based on recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. 

Guide to Clinical Preventive Services 2006

Chronic Conditions

There are specific tests used by internists to monitor the following chronic conditions. If you have one of these conditions, you will be asked to

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

• Blood work: If you are taking medications for high blood pressure, your physician will consider obtaining yearly evaluations of your kidney function (serum creatinine/glomerular filtration rate, or GFR), sodium levels, and potassium levels
• Urine testing: Your physician will consider obtaining a yearly urine sample to check for protein in the urine, which can be an early sign of kidney injury from hypertension

Coronary Artery Disease

• Blood work: Your physician will consider obtaining a yearly fasting cholesterol panel and liver enzymes if you are on a cholesterol medication

Diabetes

• Blood work: Your physician will consider obtaining the following from blood work:
  • A hemoglobin A1C value twice a year or more often, based on your sugar control
  • A yearly fasting cholesterol panel and liver enzymes, if you are on a cholesterol medication
  • A measurement of your kidney function (serum creatinine/glomerular filtration rate, or GFR)
• Urine testing: Your physician will consider obtaining a yearly urine microalbumin to detect small amounts of protein in the urine that can be a sign of early kidney damage

Thyroid Disorders

• Blood work: If you are taking medications for low thyroid (hypothyroidism), your physician will consider obtaining a yearly evaluation of your thyroid hormone

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Adams, Martha B.
  
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Blackford, Susan P.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Durham Medical Center
• Coleman, Arnett
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Metropolitan Durham Medical Group
• Fleming, Ron D.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Durham Medical Center
• Halbrooks, Ronald F.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Sutton Station Internal Medicine
• Hart-Brothers, Elaine M.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Metropolitan Durham Medical Group
• Hill-Garrett, Karen L.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Harps Mill Internal Medicine
• Joy, Scott V.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
• Lausier, Evangeline R.
  
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Lee, Sabina M.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
• Leigh-Fleming, Jan A.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Sutton Station Internal Medicine
• Meredith, Michael
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Sutton Station Internal Medicine
• Paterson, Robert W.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Sutton Station Internal Medicine
• Peyser, Bruce T.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
• Phelps, Anne F.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
• Ramsey, Colleen
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Durham Medical Center
• Shipley, Michael B.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Durham Medical Center
• Toher, Raymond J.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Durham Medical Center
• Uthe, William F.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care of Galloway Ridge
  • Duke Primary Care / Sutton Station Internal Medicine
• Waite, Kathleen A.
  
  • Duke Primary Care / Duke Primary Care Pickett Road

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Health Center at Southpoint
  6301 Herndon Road, Durham, NC 27713
• Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
  3024 Pickett Road, Durham, NC 27705
• Duke Primary Care of Galloway Ridge
  3000 Galloway Ridge, Pittsboro, NC 27312
• Durham Medical Center - Internal Medicine
  4220 North Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27704
• Harps Mill Internal Medicine
  7021 Harps Mill Road, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27615
• Metropolitan Durham Medical Group
  1901 Hillandale Road, Suite F, Durham, NC 27705
• Sutton Station Internal Medicine
  5832 Fayetteville Road, Suite 113, Durham, NC 27713
• West Raleigh Internal Medicine
  2304 Wesvill Court, Suite 210, Raleigh, NC 27607