Department of General Internal Medicine

Introduction of department

Department of General Internal Medicine (GIM), Hiroshima University Hospital has been established since 1987 as a primary care unit in the hospital. Our faculty provides comprehensive high quality primary care to patients with undifferentiated problems, as well as new outpatients who do not figure out the specialized physician they should see in the hospital. If needed, we will schedule an appointment with your appropriate specialist in series of departments.

Our service for the outpatients without appointments is available 9:00 am to 11:00 am, from Monday through Friday except national holidays. Please bring a referral letter from your regular physician. Without a referral letter, there will be visit surcharge (11,000yen). For your convenience, English-speaking representatives are on staff. The phone number for outpatients is below; 082-257-5460.

Research content

  • Clinical research about home care and rural health
    We have developed a secure IT consultation system. When doctors at home-care clinics and rural medical institutions have trouble making dermatological diagnoses and treatment, they can consult female dermatologists on maternal leave via this system which includes medical histories and photographs.
  • Study on the mechanism of gallstone formation
    The prevalence of patients with gallstone has been recently increasing and it is getting economic burden worldwide.  We investigate the mechanism of cholesterol gallstone formation focusing on the biliary lipid metabolism.
  • Basic research for the treatment or prevention of hepatic fibrogenesis
    Liver cirrhosis is hepatic dysfunction due to the occupation of excess fibrotic tissue in the liver (fibrosis).  We have identified several key molecules that modulate the development of hepatic fibrosis.
  • Descriptive epidemiology of fever of unknown origin.
    We search for patterns by examining characteristic of patients with fever of unknown origin.

Treatment achievements

The Department of General Internal Medicine functions as an established Primary Care Unit in the hospital placing emphasis on building trusted relationship with patients. In addition, highly ramified and specialized services of medicine are offered.

  1. General internal medicine
    Board certified members of Japanese Society of Internal Medicine in our staff provide high quality primary care to patients with undifferentiated problems.
  2. Metabolic syndrome
    We provide comprehensive evaluation and treatment of patients with disorders associated by metabolic syndrome.
  3. Non-surgical strategy for gallstones/pancreatic stones
    To achieve good overall quality of life for patients suffering from gallstones/pancreatic stones, we propose appropriate therapeutic options including non-surgical treatments (e.g., oral litholysis, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy).
  4. Herbal medicine (Kampo medicine)
    We offer specialized clinical services of herbal medicine.
  5. Nutrition support
    We put in efforts to nutrition support as a part of treatment for metabolic syndrome, as well as digestive, respiratory, or renal diseases.


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