Medical Terminology

Why This Comes Before Everything Else

Every ICD-10-CM code, CPT code, and clinical note is built from medical terminology. Skipping this and jumping straight to coding guidelines is like learning to read code without learning the alphabet — you can memorize individual codes, but you can't decode a term you've never seen before. This is the true starting point of a medical coding career, before ICD-10-CM Fundamentals.

The Word-Building System

Medical terms are built from three parts: prefix + root + suffix. Once you know the common pieces, you can decode thousands of terms you've never explicitly studied.

hyper- / gastr / -itis
(above/excess) (stomach) (inflammation)
= "excessive inflammation of the stomach"

Common Roots (by body system)

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Common Prefixes

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Common Suffixes

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Applying This to Coding

When you encounter an unfamiliar term in a physician's note — say "nephrolithiasis" — break it down: nephr/o (kidney) + lith (stone) + -iasis (condition of) = "condition of kidney stones." This directly points you toward the correct ICD-10-CM chapter (Diseases of the Genitourinary System) even before you look up the exact code.