Word parts
termin boundary, term-logy study of
What it means
Medical terminology is built mainly from Greek and Latin word parts: a root that gives the main meaning, a prefix at the start and a suffix at the end. Knowing common parts, such as cardi/o (heart), -itis (inflammation) and hypo- (below), makes many new words readable. Health care workers use standard terminology so that everyone understands records the same way.
For the nurse
Use plain words with clients and families, and check that they understand; save the technical terms for the record and the team.