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Medical Terminology for Healthcare Communication

Building Medical Language Skills for Clear and Confident Healthcare Communication

Build medical terminology skills through human body systems, basic anatomy and physiology, and laboratory testing. Learn to understand test requests, describe specimens and communicate clearly with healthcare colleagues and patients.

Self-paced online • 4 modules • 22 lectures • 12-week access

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Why We Created This Course

Have you ever read a medical word and wondered what it meant, or struggled to explain it to a patient? We created this course to help you feel more confident in those moments.

I believe learning should connect with the situations you face in your work. That is why this course brings medical words to life through practical questions, decoding exercises, and realistic healthcare scenarios. You will practise breaking words into meaningful parts and using what you learn in communication with colleagues and patients.

Whether you are starting your healthcare journey or building on previous experience, our goal is to make medical language easier to understand and use in your role.

Oday Alubaidi
President, MedLabTech Academy

Patrick Jones - Course author

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Who This Course Is For

This course is for people who want to understand medical language and communicate more clearly in healthcare. You do not need to work in a laboratory or have previous medical terminology knowledge to begin.

  • Healthcare students and people beginning their healthcare careers.
  • Laboratory professionals, phlebotomists, and specimen-collection staff.
  • Nurses, pharmacy teams, and diagnostic imaging personnel.
  • Rehabilitation and other allied-health professionals.
  • Patient-registration, reception, and healthcare support staff.
  • Internationally educated healthcare professionals and those refreshing their knowledge.

Level: Foundational to intermediate level. No formal prerequisite is required.

What You Will Learn

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

  1. Break medical words into roots, prefixes, and suffixes to understand their meaning.
  2. Recognise terminology for major body structures and their basic functions.
  3. Describe body locations and specimen sources clearly.
  4. Understand common terminology in test requests, clinical notes, and laboratory reports within your role.
  5. Recognise unclear abbreviations or incomplete information and know when to ask for clarification.
  6. Use clear medical language with colleagues and plain language when communicating with patients.

Learn Through Explanation and Practice

Build your understanding through illustrated lessons, then put it into practice with questions and realistic healthcare situations.

  • Word-decoding exercises

    Practise breaking medical terms into meaningful parts and working out what they mean.

  • Practical healthcare scenarios

    Explore how medical language is used in requests, specimen information, professional communication, and patient explanations.

  • Practice questions with feedback

    Check your understanding, review explanations, and revisit topics that need more practice.

  • Self-paced learning

    Study in sequence and return to the lessons during your 12-week access period.

Examples follow information through the laboratory testing pathway, showing how communication connects different healthcare roles—from patient registration and test requests to specimen collection, reporting, and patient communication.

Your Course at a Glance

4 modules • 22 lectures • Estimated study time: 20–25 hours

Module 1 — Foundations of Medical Language

Learn how medical words are formed and how to work out their meaning. Build a foundation in word parts, anatomical position, direction, and location.

Module 2 — Body Systems and Medical Terminology

Connect terminology with major body systems, basic anatomy and physiology, and relevant healthcare and laboratory examples.

Module 3 — Healthcare and Laboratory Communication

Apply terminology to healthcare workflows, reports, and communication between professional teams. Practise recognising information that needs clarification.

Module 4 — Patient Communication, Safety and Quality

Explore clear patient explanations, safe communication, and ways to maintain and develop your medical terminology knowledge.

Plan Your Learning

Format
Online and self-paced.
Estimated study time
20–25 hours, including learning activities and initial assessment attempts.
Access
12 weeks from enrolment.
Progression
Complete the course in sequence and pass each module quiz to move forward.

Plan regular study time and complete the required lectures, quizzes, and final examination within your access period. Additional review or repeat attempts may require more time.

Assessments and Completion

Module quizzes

Each of the four modules ends with a mandatory quiz containing 15 questions: 10 multiple-choice and 5 true-or-false. You have 20 minutes and two attempts for each quiz. Achieve at least 80%—12 correct answers out of 15—to progress.

Module quizzes do not contribute to your final course grade. Passing the Module 4 quiz allows you to proceed to the final examination.

Final examination

The final examination has a 90-minute time limit, allows two attempts, and requires at least 80% to pass. It determines 100% of your final course grade.

If you do not pass after both attempts, contact the Academy for guidance. Any additional attempt requires approval.

Practice activities

Practice questions, decoding exercises, and case activities help you prepare. They do not contribute to your final course grade.

Earn Your Certificate of Completion

Receive a MedLabTech Academy certificate of completion after you:

  • Complete all required lectures and learning activities.
  • Pass all four module quizzes with at least 80% on each.
  • Pass the final examination with at least 80%.

This course develops terminology and communication skills. The certificate does not provide professional licensure or replace practical training required for clinical procedures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need previous medical terminology knowledge?

No. The course begins with the foundations of medical language and builds towards body systems and practical healthcare communication.

Is this course only for laboratory professionals?

No. It is relevant to a wide range of healthcare roles, including nursing, pharmacy, imaging, allied health, reception, and patient support. Laboratory-related examples show how information moves between teams.

Can I study around my work or other commitments?

Yes. The course is self-paced, so you can choose when to study. You must complete the required activities and assessments within your 12-week access period.

How much study time should I plan?

Allow approximately 20–25 hours. Your actual time will depend on your previous knowledge and how much review or additional practice you need.

What happens if I do not pass an assessment?

You have two attempts for each module quiz and the final examination. Review the relevant lessons before trying again. If you are unsuccessful after both attempts, contact the Academy for guidance; any further attempt requires approval.

Does this course include hands-on clinical training?

No. It focuses on medical terminology and healthcare communication through online lessons and practical learning exercises. Training in procedures such as specimen collection must be completed separately.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. You will receive a MedLabTech Academy certificate of completion once you complete the required learning activities and meet all assessment requirements.

Build Confidence in Medical Language

Learn to understand medical terms and use them in everyday healthcare communication through practical questions, decoding exercises, and realistic scenarios.