Psychiatric Nursing Program
Foundations of Nursing Practice
Medical Terminology
Faculty: Susan Howell,
The words or terms that make up the language of medicine are referred to as the terminology of
the medical field.
Medical terms can be overwhelming when you are first trying to decipher them.
Have any of you ever visited a doctor’s office or had a family member in hospital and were by
confused by the medical terminology used by the doctor or other health care professionals?
If so, you are not alone. Think of the poor clients!!
Medical terminology has a language of its own. It is like a jigsaw puzzle with interlocking
WORD PARTS. By analyzing the word parts you will be able to comprehend the meaning,
spelling, and pronunciation of medical terms.
Analysis of Medical Terms
- Many medical terms are composed of LATIN or GREEK word parts – don’t let this intimidate
you because many of our everyday words also come from Latin or Greek (e.g. centre,
hospital)
- Word analysis involves breaking the word into word parts to understand meaning
- By breaking the medical terms into word parts, it is like taking small steps to understand the
whole word
- Think of breaking down the sport of hockey into the individual parts or skills: going forward,
going backward, stopping, falling down, holding a stick, shooting the puck, etc. Each “part”
has to be learned individually before you can learn the “whole”.
Understanding Medical Terms
- Understanding medical terms involves different types of knowledge about the medical term:
o Meaning
o Spelling
o Pronunciation
- The meaning of the term is very important for comprehension of the health information
- Spelling of the term is important to ensure correct communication between health care
professionals and the clients and to ensure confidence in the health care providers (i.e.
attention to detail – legal implications)
- Pronunciation is important for proper verbal understanding of the medical term and
professionalism amongst health care providers
- All of these take time to learn and practice so be patient with yourself
Parts of the Medical Term
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There are four possible word parts and any given medical term may contain one, some or all of
these parts:
Root – the meaning of the term
Suffix – the ending of the word
Prefix – a part that may begin a medical term
Linking or Combining Vowels – connects root-root and roots-suffixes
Combining Form – combination of the root and the combining vowel
e.g. pericarditis can be divided into three parts: peri – card – itis
the prefix, peri, translates to surrounding
the root, cardi, translates to heart (Latin word for heart)
the suffix, itis, translates to inflammation
So, pericarditis is an inflammation of the area surrounding the heart, or an inflammation of the
outer layer of the heart, anatomically known as the pericardium.
Word Analysis
- Analyzing medical term – begin at end of word (suffix) as it is a systematic way of
understanding new terms
- All medical terms contain suffixes
- e.g. gastritis – itis is the suffix
- e.g. cardiology – logy is the suffix
Suffixes (ending)
Look at the following terms:
dermatology
colecystitis
cystoscope
A very useful group of suffixes are those that refer to medical procedures: For example,
“ectomy” means surgical removal, as in tonsillectomy and appendectomy.
“Oscopy” refers to direct visual examination of the body part, as in colonoscopy and
opthalmoscopy.
Root Words
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- medical terms always consist of at least one root, although they may contain more
- look at word root as it gives the medical term its meaning
- e.g. gastritis – gastr means stomach
- e.g. cardilology – card is the root and it means heart
Vowel
- a combining vowel connects root and suffix
- common combining vowel – “o” but “i” and “a” are also used
- examples: cardiology, cystoscopy (o is the combining vowel)
- combining form: combining vowel & root
- the combining vowel has no meaning of its own
- used to join the root and suffix, or 2 root parts together
Prefix
- the beginning of the medical term is the prefix
- example: transurethral – trans is the prefix
- example: suprapubic – supra is the prefix
- a prefix can change the meaning of a medical term
- for example, suprapubic or subpubic – anatomical location is very different
- What do the following prefixes mean?
o subgastric
o autoimmune
o hyperallergenic
The Rules
Read meaning from suffix to beginning of word and across
e.g. pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Drop combining vowel if the suffix starts with a vowel
e.g. gastrology, gastritis
Keep the combining vowel between word roots even if root begins with a vowel
e.g. gastroenterology
Closing Thoughts
Understanding medical terminology is a lifelong process. You will continually come across new
medical terms to analyze.
By dividing the medical term into word parts of suffix, root, prefix, combining vowel & combining
word, systematic analysis of medical terms is possible.
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When you are researching your client’s chart or doing readings for class prep and you come
across a medical term you don’t know, take the time to look it up – this will help you to learn the
terms. Keep a list of the terms and practice them later. Ensure correct spelling. Practice writing
the words out, until you are familiar with their spelling and meaning.
Also, listen carefully to the words you hear in class and clinical. Keep your ears open for any
unfamiliar medical terms. Check with your instructor if unsure how to correctly pronounce a
word or check for pronunciation in your medical dictionary.
Practice saying the word out loud until it becomes familiar to you and you can use it naturally
without hesitation.
Work with a fellow classmate to learn new terms. Practice reading the words and giving the
meaning. Make your own set of flashcards and review with a friend.
Make a conscious effort to develop your knowledge of medical terminology. Try practicing five
words each day.
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