Why is Learning Medical Terminology Important?

Importance of Medical TerminologyProspective students sometimes ask why learning Medical Terminology is important. Depending on the type of career you choose to pursue, having the ability to recognize and decipher complex medical terms can be a game changer. We often think of the obvious examples such as doctors, nurses, physician assistants and medical billing specialists to name a few. However, you might be surprised to learn how many other careers require a working knowledge of medical terminology.

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Medical Terms Make it Easier to Communicate Across the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare is an $800 billion market growing at 7.3% annually. Healthcare and social assistance is the largest employment segment in the U.S. employing 20 million+ people. Medical Terminology is important to healthcare professionals who work directly with patients but there are also support positions that require knowledge of the subject.

For instance, let’s think about the average family practice with 4-5 doctors and 8-10 nurses. In addition to the professionals mentioned above, these practices would typically employ medical billing and coding specialists. The responsibility for generating billing documents falls upon these employees. An understanding of medical terms helps ensure billing codes are accurate which results in more timely payments for the practice. It also allows the practice to receive the maximum payment possible for a particular service. Since payment delays are often a result of improper codes, it’s important for these professionals to understand the terminology they work with on a regular basis.

Documentation Becomes Much More Simple

After the medical billing department sends bills out for payment, an employee from the health insurance company reviews the incoming bills for accuracy and entry into their accounting system. Without understanding medical terminology, it would be difficult for these professionals to perform their responsibilities effectively. This knowledge helps people in these industries work more efficiently and effectively. Medical Terminology is a common language used to communicate complex medical data between health professionals, patients and many others.

Medical Terminology Plays an Important Role in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Let’s take a look at another industry. After the last year, we’ve all heard or read about the COVID-19 clinical trials performed by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Before a drug, or vaccine is approved, it must be submitted to a rigorous clinical trial. The pharmaceutical industry regularly recruits patients into their studies. Employees tasked with qualifying patients for the trial, creating intake materials and developing trial notifications need to have a basic knowledge of medical terms to communicate the various aspects of the clinical trial.

In addition to the recruiting professionals, pharmaceutical companies also employ Clinical Data Analysts. These highly skilled professionals are responsible for verifying the data gathered during the trial period as well as reporting on the results of the clinical trials. They’re required to write reports that use terminology to communicate disease states, patient conditions, adverse events and more.

Knowing the Right Terms Keeps Everyone on the Same Page

Analysts use computer software to record and report clinical trial results which brings us to our next profession. It can be quite appealing for a programmer or front-end developer to have completed an accredited online medical terminology course. Knowledge of the subject helps employees communicate with each other effectively which helps to keep everyone focused on the same goals. Clinical Data Analysts will use the software developed by these programmers to submit reports to the FDA in the United States for drug approval and other milestones throughout the lifespan of the drug.

At the FDA you will find doctors, scientists and other health professionals who all need a working knowledge of medical terminology. Imagine how difficult it would be to read incoming reports without knowledge of medical terms. It would be virtually impossible, or at least extremely time consuming, to decipher reports and make informed decisions.

Once approval is granted a drug is ready for market. Most of the time that involves pharmaceutical sales representatives visiting doctors to promote the new drug. It’s imperative for sales representatives to be able to speak the doctor’s language. Without prior knowledge of medical terminology, the sales representative would not have the skills to discuss the target diseases that a drug is designed to address or the body systems it is intended to affect.

When a doctor prescribes a medication, they rely on a pharmacist to fill the prescription. From the pharmacist at your local Walgreens or CVS to the pharmacy assistants, it’s important that they all understand the patient’s medical conditions and the prescriptions they’re filling to recognize potential interactions before they occur.

Working in A Pharmacy

Occasionally the pharmacist will have to call the patient’s health insurance company to confirm information. They are expecting to reach an insurance professional who has knowledge of the drugs, diseases and side effects associated with the drug(s) being prescribed. All of these touch on medical terminology in some shape or form.

Learn Medical Terminology From Our Online Class

While the pharmaceutical industry provides us with several solid examples of professions where medical terminology is used, it does not end there. Every day we receive course requests from paramedics, court reporters and even tattoo artists. If a career in healthcare is something that interests you, consider an online course covering medical terms to boost your resume or meet a prerequisite. If you have any questions about how taking an online course can help you, feel free to reach out to us.

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How Medical Terminology Helps Your Career in Medical Claims

The American healthcare industry is growing exponentially, and a medical terminology course can help assure your success working within this world. The expansion of this industry is creating jobs that are increasingly specific to particular facets of the medical process. As a medical claims specialist, your area of involvement exists within the ever-essential conduit of money flow from one entity to another. You are tasked with mediating between providers and insurance companies concerning payment for medical goods and services rendered to policyholders. This area relies heavily on terminology to explain organs, bones, bodily systems, symptoms, conditions, diagnoses, procedures, prognoses and prescriptions in order to describe medical situations.

Just as people in the legal world speak legalese, accountants speak numbers and software programmers speak HTML code, your profession demands that you possess detailed understanding of the vocabulary of medicine. This subset of the English language contains elements of the everyday vernacular interspersed with archaic Latin and Greek words, lengthy polysyllabic terms and ambiguous abbreviations. A medical terminology course can equip you to excel in this arena by preventing miscommunication, ensuring clerical accuracy and enabling efficiency.

A Comprehensive Medical Terminology Course

An online medical terminology course allows you to learn and progress at your own pace as your schedule allows. Once enrolled, you will have access to a series of instructional modules for one full year. These chapters are designed to introduce you to the essentials of anatomy and physiology and the various systems within the human body. After a general introduction to medical terminology, you will delve into a section on the human body in health and disease which will demonstrate the physical effects of inflammation and trauma. Each chapter will cover specific systems within the body including:

  • Skeletal system
  • Muscular system
  • Cardiovascular system
  • Lymphatic and immune systems
  • Respiratory system
  • Digestive system
  • Urinary system
  • Endocrine system
  • Reproductive system
  • Nervous system

You will then learn about the sensory intricacies of the eyes and ears as well as the integumentary system of the skin. Finally, a module on diagnostic procedures and pharmacology will familiarize you with terminology concerning specific conditions and ailments and the various medicines prescribed to treat them.

Benefit from Interactive Learning

Online Medical Terminology CourseHaving online access to a medical terminology course means learning through the audio and visual aspects of the training modules. Material is reinforced through interactive review exercises. Challenging medical terms can be mastered by a playback feature that allows you to hear the correct pronunciation of uncommon words as many times as necessary. Tests are given to assess your progress as you move through the material, and answers to quiz questions are accompanied by detailed explanations for future reference. A wide variety of games designed to enhance your learning experience are also a part of this course, accompanied by case studies, multimedia animations and a glossary of terms and definitions. A dynamic array of teaching methods assure that the detail-heavy nature of the material is presented in engaging, interactive formats that encourage learning through audio playback and colorful infographics.

Excel Through Effective Communication

The Medical Terminology for Health Professions course is designed to prepare you to successfully communicate with other health professionals by enabling you to understand the meaning of medical terms, root words, prefixes and suffixes. Your ability to recognize basic medical terms will allow you to process medical claims in an efficient manner without having to continually search for the definitions of medical diagnoses, procedures and conditions. Medical abbreviations are frequently used in all aspects of the industry, and learning how to decipher them through this course will let you experience the benefits of efficient correspondence rather than the hindrances of miscommunication. You will learn to spell and pronounce essential medical words and terms that, while uncommon in everyday language, are used daily in the medical world.

Equip Yourself with Analytical Tools

There are thousands of words that are specific to the medical world, and while this course in medical terminology teaches you the fundamental vocabulary, it also teaches the skill to decipher advanced terminology through deductive analysis. You will learn medical root words, prefixes and suffixes so that you can dissect unfamiliar terms and extract their meaning by understanding specific parts of the words. For example, the suffix “itis” indicates inflammation of a specific part of the body, while the term “ectomy” means the removal of a certain part of the body. The differences between tonsillitis and a tonsillectomy, while involving the same body part, are quite significant — and will mean very different ways in which a medical claim is transcribed. Meanwhile, the word “operative” means a surgical operation, yet when it is paired with a variety of prefixes, it’s can change significantly. This course will allow you to know that the prefixes “pre,” “peri” and “post” — when paired with the word operative mean either before a surgery, before and after a surgery, or only after a surgery, respectively.

Certify Your Knowledge and Earn College Credit

Your one-year access to this online medical terminology course allows you to learn at your own pace and awards you a “passing” status with a 70% average on module tests and a short overall course evaluation. Upon completion you will earn 9.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs) authorized by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training. Your certificate of completion allows you to demonstrate to recruiters and future coworkers that you are serious about a career in medical claims, and that you took the necessary steps to educate yourself so that you can effectively communicate in the language of medicine. You can submit the details of the course to your institution before enrolling to ensure CEUs will be accepted and applied.

Contact Corexcel to enroll in our online medical terminology course and begin your education in the vast vocabulary of the world of medicine. Understanding this language will empower you to excel as a medical claims specialist.