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 then send these samples to a certified laboratory facility to be analyzed. Some testing, including hemoglobin A1C values (for diabetes management and detection) and urine samples can be done within a few minutes during your visit with your provider. This is known as point of care (POC) testing.

Some blood samples, such as cholesterol and sugar testing, should be obtained in a fasting state (no food eight 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

Chronic Conditions

The following list highlights some chronic conditions treated by your internist and the tests administered to monitor those conditions.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

• Blood work: If you are taking medications for high blood pressure, your physician may require yearly evaluations of your kidney function (serum creatinine/estimated glomerular filtration rate, or GFR), sodium levels, and potassium levels
• Urine testing: Your physician may obtain a yearly urine sample to check for protein in the urine, which can be an early sign of kidney injury from hypertension
• Electrocardiogram (ECG): Your provider may request an ECG to evaluate the effect of high blood pressure on your heart

Coronary Artery Disease

• Blood work: Your physician may obtain a yearly fasting cholesterol panel and liver enzymes if you are on a cholesterol medication

Diabetes

• Blood work: Your physician may request blood work to find the following measurements:
  • 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 may collect a yearly urine microalbumin to detect small amounts of protein in the urine that can be a sign of early kidney damage
• Foot examination at each visit to look for areas that may be at risk for infection
• Yearly sensation testing of the feet using a monofilament (which looks and feels like a firm fishing line) to determine if you have any nerve damage from diabetes

Thyroid Disorders

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

Anticoagulation (Blood Thinners)

• If you are taking warfarin (Coumadin), you should have frequent blood work (every two to four weeks) to make sure that the medication is within a certain range and to make sure that you are not at increased risk for development of a clot or serious bleeding. Many practices have a special clinic to check this blood test and adjust your medicine. These clinics operate with a nurse with specialized training who works closely with supervising physicians to make sure your blood work stays within the recommended range.

Appointments

To make an appointment, call the location where you'd like to be seen.

What to expect at your appointment with a Duke internal medicine physician

Why choose an internist?

Physicians

Physicians offering this service include:

• Aderoju, Elizabeth O.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Black, Tracy M.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Blackford, Susan P.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Blocker, Michael E.
  • Medicine / Medicine-Infectious Diseases
• Bowlby, Lynn A.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Coleman, Arnett
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Cooner, Edward W.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Elston, Scott C.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Evans, Edward
  • Pediatrics / Med-Pediatrics
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Fakadej, Maria M.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Greenblatt, Lawrence H.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Griffiths, William O.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Halbrooks, Ronald F.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Hart-Brothers, Elaine M.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
  • Community and Family Medicine
• Jenkins, Sharrah E.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Kelly, James R.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Lausier, Evangeline R.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Lee, Sabina M.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Meredith, Michael
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Metz, Louise D.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Miner, Dean S.
  • Pediatrics / Med-Pediatrics
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Noble, Richard Clay
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Orlando, Lori A.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Ostrovsky, Daniel A.
  • Pediatrics / Med-Pediatrics
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Paterson, Robert W.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Peyser, Bruce T.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Phelps, Anne F.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Ramsey, Colleen
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Rookwood, Jacqueline L.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Rubin, Sharon S.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Schecodnic, Heidi L.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Schneider, Richard J.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Seo, Esther E.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Shipley, Michael B.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Szabo, Andrea
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Thakkar, Madhvi M.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Toher, Raymond J.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Trinh, Jane V.
  • Pediatrics / Med-Pediatrics
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Uthe, William F.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Waite, Kathleen A.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Westman, Eric C.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Woodbridge, Michael V.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine
• Zipkin, Daniella A.
  • Medicine / General Internal Medicine

Locations

This service is available at:

• Duke Outpatient Clinic
  4220 North Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27704
• Duke Primary Care Creedmoor Road
  7200 Creedmoor Road, Suite 208, Raleigh, NC 27613
• Duke Primary Care Pickett Road
  3024 Pickett Road, Durham, NC 27705
• Duke Primary Care of Galloway Ridge
  50 Craggenmore Close, Pittsboro, NC 27312
• Durham Medical Center (Internal Medicine)
  4220 North Roxboro Street, Durham, NC 27704
• Metropolitan Durham Medical Group
  1901 Hillandale Road, Suite F, Durham, NC 27705
• Sutton Station Internal Medicine
  5832 Fayetteville Road, Suite 113, Durham, NC 27713