California Medical Bill Reviewer Certification

1. California Medical Bill Reviewer Certification Unit 1: Workers’ Compensation Benefit Program Module 9: Medical Terminology

2. Overview In this module, you will learn about medical terminology, and how prefixes, suffixes, and root words can be identified to determine the meaning of a word. Then, you will learn about medical abbreviations. Medical terminology can be very confusing and can seem like a language all its own! But, medical terminology can be broken down to make it easier to understand. Let’s start by discussing how medical terms consist of prefixes, suffixes, and root words... • Overview of Medical Terminology • Prefixes • Suffixes • Root Words • Overview of Medical Terminology • Prefixes • Suffixes • Root Words • Prefixes: Position, Description, & Color • Suffixes: Condition, Surgery, & Procedure • Root Words: Body Area • Abbreviations

3. Medical Terminology Do you know what inflammation of the external auditory meatus means? Swimmer’s Ear What about “excess irrigation solution was removed from the glenohumeral joint and the arm repositioned into direct longitudinal traction?” The shoulder was drained and the arm was hung in a sling. If you were unsure about the meaning of these terms, you are not alone! But, medical terminology is not as complex as you might think… Let’s take a look…

4. Medical Terminology is Everywhere • You are probably familiar with a lot of different medical terminology just from the media. Magazine and newspaper articles are filled with information about new drugs, treatments, diets, and new medical procedures. Television commercials for prescription drugs and even different illnesses have made us even more aware of medical terminology. Even medical dramas on television have made us more familiar with medical terms, procedures, and treatments.

5. Many procedures, diseases, or instruments are named after their discoverers or inventors. However, most medical terms have a Latin or Greek origin. So, Where Do the Terms Come From? Examples include: • Blalock-Taussig Shunt • Deaver Retractor • Parkinson’s Disease Let’s take a look…

6. It’s All in the Pieces… • Many medical terms are made up of three separate components that determine meaning. Prefix: an attachment to the beginning of a word root that determines or changes the meaning of a word. Suffix: an attachment to the end of a word root that forms a new word, or changes its meaning. Word Root: the basic form of a word that determines its primary definition.

7. Myocarditis = inflammation of the heart muscle How Do the Components Fit Together? • The most typical sequence of the three pieces that make up a word is: PREFIX WORD ROOT SUFFIX myo = Muscle card = Heart itis = Inflammation

8. Pericarditis: outer layer of the heart inflamed card = Heart itis = Inflammation Endocarditis: inner layer of the heart inflamed card = Heart itis = Inflammation Changes to the Prefix • Changes to the prefix or suffix change the detailed meaning of the word. PREFIX WORD ROOT SUFFIX myo = Muscle card = Heart itis = Inflammation peri = Outer endo = Inner

9. Changes to the Suffix Cardiologist: a physician who specializes in the heart. • Sometimes, only a suffix is used to change the meaning of a root word. WORD ROOT SUFFIX card = Heart -ologist Cardiomyopathy: damage to the heart muscle layer. card = Heart -myopathy Cardiomegaly: enlargement of the heart. card = Heart -megaly

10. What Does It All Mean? Now that you are familiar with the parts that make up medical terms, let’s take a look at how prefixes, suffixes, and root words determine meaning. • Overview of Medical Terminology • Prefixes • Suffixes • Root Words • Prefixes: Position, Description, & Color • Suffixes: Condition, Surgery, & Procedure • Root Words: Body Area • Abbreviations • Prefixes: Position, Description, & Color • Suffixes: Condition, Surgery, & Procedure • Root Words: Body Area • Abbreviations

11. Prefixes • Prefixes of medical terms indicate position, description, or color. Position Description Color Let’s take a look…

12. Prefixes Position

13. Prefixes Description & Color

14. As you know, suffixes are the word endings. In medical terms, suffixes provide information about: Suffixes Disease or Condition Surgery or Procedure Let’s take a look…

15. Suffixes Disease or Condition

16. Suffixes Surgery or Procedure

17. Now let’s get to the heart of the medical terminology --the root words. Root words indicate which area of the body we are dealing with. What makes a proctologist different from a cardiologist? It’s not the –ologist; it’s the body part! Root Words • Up to now, we have added prefixes and suffixes to change meanings, but the body area is the key to the medical procedure, condition, or specialist.

18. Recall the medical terms have both Greek and Latin origin. Root Words Therefore, some body areas have two different root words. For example, lungs may be referenced by two roots: • You are probably familiar with words such as “pneumonia” or “pulmonary function,” which both refer to the lungs. • Pneumo- • Pulmo-

19. Root Words • Here is a list of common root words:

20. Root Words

21. Root Words • Now, we will discuss some common modifications of root words. Let’s take a look…

22. Understanding the Pieces... • Now you try! Using your knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes, what do you think these two terms refer to? Electrocardiogram A graphical record of the heart’s electrical impulses. Hepatoblastoma Liver Tumor

23. Abbreviations Now that you are familiar with medical terminology, it will be easier to understand how some terms are abbreviated! Let’s take a look…

24. Next to the military, medicine probably has the second most enthusiastic users of abbreviations. Abbreviations For example, the abbreviation STD can stand for: • sexually transmitted disease • selective T-cell defect • skin-to-tumor distance • skin test dose • sodium tetradecyl sulfate • ST segment depression • To make things complicated, the same abbreviation can mean something entirely different depending on the part of medicine that is being referred to. As you can see, it’s all in the context in which the abbreviation is used!

25. The context in which an abbreviation is used may give the reader a hint to meaning. These can be used when the documentation gives you no hint and the meaning of the abbreviation is important to reviewing the bill. Abbreviations For example: If you need help, there are excellent references such as The Dictionary of Medical Acronyms & Abbreviations. • In radiology, ‘AP’ means anterior-posterior view. • In surgery, ‘PLIF’ means posterior lumbar interbody fusion. • In pathology, ‘PT’ means protime. • In medicine, ‘PT’ means physical therapist.

26. Certain abbreviations are so common the average person may be aware of their meaning already. Common Abbreviations

27. There are many other abbreviations, but you will become used to the ones you see all the time in your work. Use a reference, a colleague, or the context in which you see the abbreviation to ascertain its meaning. Abbreviations

28. How medical terminology is broken down. How root words define body area. Position Description Color How prefixes define meaning. PT: Physical Therapist PT: Protime How abbreviations can have multiple meanings. Condition Procedure How suffixes define meaning. Where to find meanings of medical terms and abbreviations. Summary

29. Module 9 Quiz Click on the link to go directly to the quiz. Feel free to review any of the material before you move on. Good Luck! Quiz: U1M9: Medical Terminology