Medical Terminology Online Course

Medical terminology is the language spoken in healthcare environments. Understanding medical terminology is essential for efficient communication and operation between physicians, non-clinical staff and healthcare organizations. For medical coders and billers, job performance depends on fluency in medical terminology.

If you’re new to healthcare and seeking a career in medical coding and billing, you’ll benefit from taking AAPC’s online medical terminology course in conjunction with the Certified Professional Coder (CPC)^® or Certified Professional Biller (CPB)^® training. The medical terminology course will help you retain your coding and billing studies. It will also enhance your performance on the CPB and CPC exam, as well as ensure you can effectively communicate and succeed in the workplace.

• Learn word components for quick mastery of countless medical terms
• Become familiar with body systems, including structures, diseases, and medical treatments, and learn directional terms and orientations to depict anatomic locations
• Earn 20 CEUs upon successful completion (AAPC certified members). One-time use only.
• Strongly recommended for students planning to take the CPC, COC, CIC, CRC, or CPB online courses.

Medical Terminology Course Description

The Medical Terminology Online Course teaches students the terminology used in the medical coding and billing profession, as well as how it applies in clinical settings. When you enroll in this course, your registration will include:

• A world-class textbook featuring a comprehensive medical terminology glossary and detailed, full-color illustrations to clarify text and support visual learning (Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide, Ninth Edition Barbara Janson Cohen, MSEd, and Shirley A. Jones, MSEd, MHA, MSN, EMT-P, RN)
• Reading assignments, practice exercises, module review tests, and a final exam.
• Online coaching on an individual, as-needed basis.

Medical Terminology Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of the online medical terminology classes, students will be able to:

• Correctly identify the roles of the four types of word parts in forming medical terms
• Analyze unfamiliar medical terms using that knowledge of word parts
• Define anatomy and physiology and use anatomic reference systems to identify the anatomic position for all major organ systems
• Learn medical terms and medical abbreviations for each body system

Medical Terminology Course Content

• Introduction to Medical Terminology. Students will learn the component parts that form most medical terms and be able to recognize, remember, and properly use those terms.
• Disease and Treatment. Students will be able to describe major categories of disease, infectious organisms, and the responses common to diseases. They will be able to describe the methods of patient examination, diagnosis, and treatment. Students will also be able to identify major categories of drugs and differentiate between generic and brand names. They will learn to use terminology and word parts pertaining to diseases, patient examination, diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and drugs.
• Circulation, Blood and Immunity. Students will be able to identify the structure and function of the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems in their normal and clinical aspects. In addition to learning medical terms and medical abbreviations involving the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems, they will learn about disorders and gain an understanding of the complexity and interrelationship of the two systems.
• Respiration and Digestion. Students of the Medical Terminology Course will learn the mechanisms, functions, and disorders of the respiratory system and be able to use the appropriate terminology pertaining to the respiratory system. They will also learn about the structures, functions, and disorders of the digestive system.
• Urinary and Male Reproductive System. Students will be able to identify the structures and functions of the urinary system, as well as the clinical aspects and urology-related medical terms. In this module, students will also learn how to identify the structures and functions of the male reproductive system and gain an understanding of male reproductive disorders.
• Female Reproductive System, Pregnancy and Birth. Students will be able to identify the structures and functions of the female reproductive system. They will also learn the clinical aspects of the reproductive system, pregnancy, and birth, as well as common medical terms and abbreviations used in reference to the female reproductive system.
• Endocrine and Nervous Systems, Behavioral Disorders. Students will learn the components and functions of the nervous system, major behavioral disorders, and medical terms and abbreviations used in neurology.

  Additionally, students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the complexity of the endocrine system, including its various hormones and how they interact with other body systems. Students will be able to identify the structures and functions, learn the different disorders, and gain practical use of medical terms pertaining to the endocrine system.

• The Senses. Students will become familiar with terms, roots, and abbreviations related to the senses. This medical terminology class will give them a greater understanding of the challenges associated with living with disorders involving the senses.
• The Skeleton and Muscular Systems. Students of the medical terminology training course will become familiar with the terms, roots, abbreviations, and disorders related to both the skeletal system and the muscular system.
• The Skin. Students will be able to identify the anatomy of the skin and its associated structures. Students will also learn the clinical aspects of the skin, common medical terms, and abbreviations used in reference to the integumentary system.

Why Take a Medical Terminology Course?

Can you name the nine divisions of the abdomen? Do you know the difference between the coronal and sagittal plane? Can you locate the dorsal and ventral body cavities? The answers to these questions are rooted in a highly specialized vocabulary.

Words like dysgeusia, gonagra, and iliopagus sound like a foreign language — almost unknowable — without a background in the life sciences or business of healthcare. But you don’t have to quit your career goals or stay in a dead-end job because the language of medicine is Greek to you.  

With a systematic and conceptual approach, AAPC’s medical terminology training course will give you a solid foundation of important healthcare vocabulary. As we break words down into building blocks and lay a framework that helps you understand new terms, you’ll see your medical language skills take off.

Who Should Take a Medical Terminology Class?

Fluency in medical terminology is a must for medical coders and billers whose essential role involves translating patient health information into medical codes.

AAPC strongly recommends the Medical Terminology Online Course for students taking the Certified Outpatient Coder (COC^®) and Certified Inpatient Coder (CIC^®) training courses, as well as the CPC and CPB courses. Because the language of medicine is vital to job performance, all certification exams will test your knowledge of medical terminology, including the CPC exam.

The value of this course extends beyond medical billing and coding and is equally important to students preparing for other non-clinical healthcare careers. You must be able to use medical terminology to participate in daily interactions — understanding what you read, write, and discuss — whether you’re studying to become a medical records technician, medical transcriber, medical scribe, HEDIS abstractor, charge description master (CDM) analyst, cancer registrar, patient service representative, or fraud investigator.

The Medical Terminology Online Course is also valuable to people returning to healthcare after a period of absence, or for professionals transferring from a specialty to a field of medicine requiring a broader vocabulary.

You will notice that the Medical Terminology Online Course is not a prerequisite for enrolling in an AAPC coding and billing training program. That’s because professionals coming from clinical roles, such as registered nurses and physicians, for example, are already well-versed in medical terminology and do not need this or the anatomy training. The medical terminology course, however, should not be considered optional for persons without substantial familiarity with medical terminology.