The Basics of Medical Terminology
Medical is the art and science of preventing, diagnosing, treating, and curing disease and injury; as well as promoting physical and mental health. A wide range of subfields are included under the umbrella term medicine, including pharmacology (the study of drugs and their effects), physiology (the study of the body’s normal functions), pathology (the study of disease), medical imaging, and radiology. Many of these fields require specialized training that may include a residency in internal medicine.
The first step in the medical decision-making process is obtaining a patient’s medical history. This history will typically include details about the patient’s symptoms, family history, previous illnesses, and treatments (such as surgeries or medications). The next steps are conducting a physical exam and performing lab or imaging tests to help diagnose the issue. These findings are then reviewed by the patient’s doctor and discussed with the patient. Finally, the doctor recommends a treatment plan.
This information is documented in the patient’s medical record, which is a legal document in many jurisdictions. It is also used for reporting and billing purposes. Depending on the complexity of the case, a patient might need to undergo further tests and consultations before receiving a diagnosis and treatment.
A patient’s medical record can be accessed by healthcare providers, researchers, insurance companies, employers, and other third parties. In addition, some medical records may be part of a clinical trial that is sponsored by pharmaceutical or device manufacturers. Patients are generally advised to read privacy policies before granting access to their medical records.
The medical field is full of specialized terms that are unfamiliar to most non-healthcare professionals. The good news is that there are some tried-and-true methods for memorizing medical terminology so you can understand the context in which these words are used. One method is to focus on learning the common root words, prefixes, and suffixes that are found in most medical terminology. These word parts are found in all the specialized terminology as well, so it is important to familiarize yourself with them.
Some of the more common root words are intuitive simply based on your experiences: cardio/vascular (relating to the heart and blood vessels), emphysema (a condition that causes difficulty breathing), and hematology (the study of blood).
Other useful vocabulary words for students of medical terminology include adi/o/nal (relating to the abdomen), en/cephal/o/logy/ic (pertaining to the brain), and melan/o/logy/ic (relating to the skin). These are just some examples of the ways in which you can build a basic foundation of medical terminology. You’ll also want to review the rules for how prefixes and suffixes form together. The rules for building medical terms are similar to those for other languages. The important thing is to be literal at the beginning while you’re building your vocabulary, and then learn to interpret these forms as you gain proficiency.
Medical is the art and science of preventing, diagnosing, treating, and curing disease and injury; as well as promoting physical and mental health. A wide range of subfields are included under the umbrella term medicine, including pharmacology (the study of drugs and their effects), physiology (the study of the body’s normal functions), pathology (the study of disease), medical imaging, and radiology. Many of these fields require specialized training that may include a residency in internal medicine. The first step in the medical decision-making process is obtaining a patient’s medical history. This history will typically include details about the patient’s symptoms, family history, previous illnesses, and treatments (such as surgeries or medications). The next steps are conducting a physical exam and performing lab or imaging tests to help diagnose the issue. These findings are then reviewed by the patient’s doctor and discussed with the patient. Finally, the doctor recommends a treatment plan. This information is documented in the patient’s medical record, which is a legal document in many jurisdictions. It is also used for reporting and billing purposes. Depending on the complexity of the case, a patient might need to undergo further tests and consultations before receiving a diagnosis and treatment. A patient’s medical record can be accessed by healthcare providers, researchers, insurance companies, employers, and other third parties. In addition, some medical records may be part of a clinical trial that is sponsored by pharmaceutical or device manufacturers. Patients are generally advised to read privacy policies before granting access to their medical records. The medical field is full of specialized terms that are unfamiliar to most non-healthcare professionals. The good news is that there are some tried-and-true methods for memorizing medical terminology so you can understand the context in which these words are used. One method is to focus on learning the common root words, prefixes, and suffixes that are found in most medical terminology. These word parts are found in all the specialized terminology as well, so it is important to familiarize yourself with them. Some of the more common root words are intuitive simply based on your experiences: cardio/vascular (relating to the heart and blood vessels), emphysema (a condition that causes difficulty breathing), and hematology (the study of blood). Other useful vocabulary words for students of medical terminology include adi/o/nal (relating to the abdomen), en/cephal/o/logy/ic (pertaining to the brain), and melan/o/logy/ic (relating to the skin). These are just some examples of the ways in which you can build a basic foundation of medical terminology. You’ll also want to review the rules for how prefixes and suffixes form together. The rules for building medical terms are similar to those for other languages. The important thing is to be literal at the beginning while you’re building your vocabulary, and then learn to interpret these forms as you gain proficiency.