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Medical Terminology 101

Understanding basic medical terminology is becoming more and more helpful in everyday life. But, if you are working in any aspect of the healthcare industry, having a little background can be a useful tool for a successful career.
Medical terminology is a language defining the human body and processes associated to it.   It is unique and specific to the healthcare field.  Therefore, it is important to have a basic understanding of medical terminology if you are interested in learning more about healthcare.  Many medications, diagnoses, billing, coding, and much more utilize medical terminology.  Medical terminology is formed from Greek and Latin roots.  Medical terminology uses prefixes, suffixes, abbreviations and acronyms.
 
Prefixes are placed at the beginning of a word to change the meaning of a word.  An example of a prefix is bi- and means two.  This is combined with another word to signify there is two of it (i.e. Bifacial, which stands for having two faces).
 
Suffixes are placed at the
 
end of a word to change the meaning of a word.  An example of a suffix is –icle that means something is small.  This is attached to a word to identify it as being small (i.e. follicle, which is a small group of cells).
 
Abbreviations are a reduced part of a longer word.  An example of a medical abbreviation is Adm, which stands for admission.
 
Acronyms are initial letters that are combined to represent a longer term.  For example AIDS is an acronym for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.
 

Prefixes, suffixes, abbreviations and acronyms are the basic foundation of medical terminology.  The more you familiarize yourself with medical terminology you will become more confident in navigating the healthcare field.  It is a universal language that once you understand, will be beneficial the entirety of your healthcare adventure.  To learn more about medical terminology and the courses available through We Care Online, click here: https://wecareonlineclasses.com/courses2/all-states/medical-terminology-i/
 

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