Effective Communication in Healthcare: Maximizing Patient Care

BR: What are some ways that healthcare workers communicate effectively? Watch this clip & tell me what you think…..

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?COPY THE STATEMENTS & PLACE A CHECK MARK BESIDE THE STATEMENT YOU AGREE WITH • Only Physicians & Nurses need to know medical terminology. • There are 2 parts to a medical term, a word root & suffix. • We can use an encyclopedia when we’re not sure about how to spell or define a term. • When you read a medical term, read the suffix first. • Learning & understanding medical terms is simple, if I use the correct learning tools. BR: 02/23/15

Introduction to Medical Terminology

Learning Goal(s): • Be able to safely & effectively use medical terminology in order to enhance patient care

Medical Terminology or Med Terms is the vocabulary used the world of healthcare. There are various components of Med Terms • Abbreviations • Prefixes • Suffixes • Root Words • Acronyms

Abbreviations • Are shortened forms of words, usually just letters. • Sometimes abbreviations may be just a letter that represents a word • Can be combined to create a order or direction • Some abbreviations are symbols

Examples • a - before • p - after • c - with • s - without • Some letters have a line over the letter and some do not

Letters of Abbreviations • abd – abdomen • bil – lateral • ck – check • ea – each • in- inch • prn – whenever necessary

Used as a Direction • ck TPR q4h Check Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration every four hours • Shorten version to give a direction, saves time and easier to write

Symbols in Healthcare • ♂ male •  increase or above •  number •  less than •  change

Examples of Using Symbols in Healthcare • 23 y/o ♂ - 23year old male • Hold med if BP 90/60 – hold medication if blood pressure less than 90 over 60.

Three Types of Word Parts • Word Roots • Contain basic meaning of term, usually involves body part • Suffixes • Indicates procedure, condition, disorder or disease • Found at the end of a word root • Prefixes • Indicates location, time, number or status • Found @ the beginning of the term

Prefixes • A syllable or word placed at the beginning of a word or used • Usually serves to define a root word • Examplehypotension • Low pressure

Suffixes • A syllable or word placed at the end of a word or used • Usually describes what is happening to the root word • Example:appendicitis • inflammation of the appendix

Root Words • Can be defined as a main word or represents a word • Vowels are sometimes used to join together prefix, root word or suffix • Vowels are not used if the letter is a part of another part of the medical term Common examples a, e, i, ia, io, o, u

Examples of Using Root Words • Gastro - stomach • Cardio – heart • Ren – kidney • Quad - four

Combining Vowels • Needed between WORD ROOT and SUFFIX or between 2 WORD ROOTS • Makes medical term easier to pronounce • Most common combining form is O • Cardi/o • Cyan/o • Poli/o • Neur/o • Used when the suffix begins w/ a consonant

READING MEDICAL TERMS • First separate the word • Start @ the end of the word – suffix • Define the meaning of each word part • Postnatal • Al (pertaining to) • Post (after) • Nat (birth)

Let’s Practice • Use your textbook to “read” the following terms, label each word part: • Tonsillitis • Tonsillectomy • Prenatal • Abdominocentesis • Hemorrhage • Myorrhexis

Compare Your Responses • Tonsillitis • Tonsillectomy • Prenatal • Abdominocentesis • Hemorrhage • Myorrhexis

Putting Med Terms Together • Pseudoappenicits–false inflammation of the appendix • Gastroentitis– inflammation of the stomach

Learning Med Terms • Making index cards as flash cards • Practice using • Creating games and using the internet games • Suggested site: http://www.quia.com/shared/med/ • Making index cards as flash cards • Practice using • Creating games and using the internet games • Suggested site: http://www.quia.com/shared/med/

BR: 01/09/2015 • What are the rights of EVERY patient and their family? • www.cbsnews.com/new/the-immortal-henrietta-lacks/

Effective Communication in Healthcare: Maximizing Patient Care