CHAA Medical Terminology for Patient Access — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the prefix 'hyper-' mean in medical terminology?
- Below normal
- Above normal or excessive (Correct answer)
- Within
- Around
Correct answer: Above normal or excessive
The prefix 'hyper-' means above normal, excessive, or beyond. For example, hypertension means abnormally high blood pressure, and hyperglycemia means excessive blood sugar. Understanding this prefix helps patient access staff correctly interpret diagnoses and insurance documentation.
Question 2: What does the prefix 'hypo-' mean in medical terminology?
- Above normal
- Below normal or deficient (Correct answer)
- Surrounding
- Between
Correct answer: Below normal or deficient
The prefix 'hypo-' means below normal, under, or deficient. For example, hypotension means abnormally low blood pressure, and hypothermia means body temperature below normal. It is the opposite of 'hyper-' and is commonly seen in diagnoses and medical reports.
Question 3: What does the suffix '-ectomy' mean?
- Examination of
- Surgical removal of (Correct answer)
- Inflammation of
- Study of
Correct answer: Surgical removal of
The suffix '-ectomy' means surgical removal or excision. For example, appendectomy is the surgical removal of the appendix, and cholecystectomy is the surgical removal of the gallbladder. Patient access staff encounter this suffix frequently when processing surgical authorizations.
Question 4: What does the suffix '-itis' indicate?
- Surgical repair
- Condition of blood
- Inflammation (Correct answer)
- Tumor or mass
Correct answer: Inflammation
The suffix '-itis' means inflammation. Common examples include appendicitis (inflammation of the appendix), bronchitis (inflammation of the bronchial tubes), and arthritis (inflammation of the joints). This is one of the most frequently encountered suffixes in medical documentation.
Question 5: What does the root word 'cardi-' or 'cardio-' refer to?
- Lungs
- Brain
- Heart (Correct answer)
- Liver
Correct answer: Heart
The root 'cardi-' or 'cardio-' refers to the heart. Cardiology is the study and treatment of heart conditions, a cardiologist is a heart specialist, and cardiovascular refers to the heart and blood vessels. This is one of the most common root words in medical terminology.
Question 6: What does the suffix '-ology' mean?
- Treatment of
- Surgical removal
- Study of (Correct answer)
- Condition of
Correct answer: Study of
The suffix '-ology' means the study of a particular subject. For example, cardiology is the study of the heart, dermatology is the study of the skin, and radiology is the study of imaging. Patient access staff use department names built on this suffix when routing patients and referrals.
CHAA Medical Terminology for Patient Access
What does the prefix 'hyper-' mean in medical terminology?