AHS 130 - Medical Terminology for Patient Care Staff

Description: Medical terminology used in direct patient care, with special care populations and in special services. Building and analyzing terms using work parts. Body-systems approach to terms related to structure and function, pathologies, and diagnostic procedures. Spelling and pronunciation of terms, medical abbreviations and symbols.

Prerequisites: Reading Proficiency

Credits: 3
Lecture: 3
Lab: 0

Course Content:

1. Introduction to Medical Terminology 

a. Basic work structure 
b. Body as a whole 
c. Common combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes

    2. Body Systems 

a. Structures 
b. Functions 
c. Pathologies 
d. Diagnostics 
e. Clinical procedures 
f. Additional suffices, prefixes, combining forms 
g. Abbreviations 

    3. Obstetrics 

a. Conception and pregnancy 
b. Hormonal interactions 
c. Pregnancy and neonatal pathologies 
d. Clinical tests and procedures related to obstetrics 
e. Additional suffixes, prefixes, combining forms 
f. Abbreviations 

    4. Cancer Medicine (Oncology) 

a. Carcinogenesis 
b. Characteristics, classification, grading, and staging of tumors 
c. Pathological descriptions 
d. Diagnostic, clinical procedures, and treatment terms 
e. Additional suffixes, prefixes, combining forms 
f. Abbreviations 

    5. Radiology and Nuclear Medicine 

a. X-ray properties, positioning, and techniques 
b. Radioactive and radionuclide tests 
c. In vitro and in vivo procedures 
d. Additional suffixes, prefixes, combining forms 
e. Abbreviation 

    6. Psychiatry/Mental Health 

a. Introduction 
b. Clinical symptoms and disorders  
c. Terminology related to treatment 
d. Additional suffixes, prefixes, combining forms 
e. Abbreviations

 
Learning Outcomes:

1. Divide medical words into their component parts (1a) 
2. Define the meaning of basic combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes (1a,c, 2f, 3e, 4e, 5d, 6d) 
3. Use combining forms, suffixes, and prefixes to build medical terms (1a,c, 2f, 3e, 4e, 5d, 6d) 
4. Identify and define terms pertaining to the body as a whole (1b) 
5. Describe positions, directions, and planes of the body (1b) 
6. Name the locations and/or structures of body systems (2a) 
7. Describe the functions of body systems (2b) 
8. Describe disease processes and symptoms that affect body systems (2c) 
9. List and explain diagnostic tests and clinical procedures common to different body systems (2d,e) 
10. Identify abbreviations common to body systems, pathologies, tests, clinical procedures, and specialty areas (2g, 3f, 4f, 5e, 6e) 
11. Explain how female reproductive organs and hormones function in the process of conception and pregnancy. (3a,b) 
12. Identify abnormal conditions of the pregnancy and the neonate. (3c) 
13. Explain important clinical tests and procedures related to obstetrics (3d) 
14. Define terms that describe the growth and spread of cancer. (4a) 
15. Recognize terms related to classification, grading and staging of tumors. (4b) 
16. Describe oncology pathologies, diagnostics, clinical procedures and treatments (4c,d) 
17. Explain terms related to x-ray properties, positioning, and techniques (5a) 
18. Define terms used to describe radioactive and radionuclide tests (5b,c) 
19. Differentiate between different metal health specialists. (6a) 
20. Define terms that describe psychiatric symptoms and disorders. (6b) 
21. Describe different psychiatric treatments and common psychiatric drugs. (6c)