Medical Terminology

The Importance of Medical Terminology and Medical Coding

AHIMA represents more than 50,000 health information management (HIM) professionals working in a variety of capacities across the healthcare industry. From doctors offices, to hospitals, to insurance providers, the importance that comes from a thorough knowledge of medical terminology and its relation to medical coding and compliance in healthcare cannot be understated.

As HIPAA guidelines and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems shape the way HIM professionals maintain and deliver medical records, the accuracy and appropriateness of medical terminology used by HIM professional carries an even greater role in not only billing and reimbursement, but also in the level of care that can be provided to patients and the community as a whole.

AHIMA Members and Medical Terminology

In addition to the external factors reliant in accurate medical terminology, AHIMA makes every effort to foster career growth opportunities and skill reinforcement for AHIMA members by offering online medical terminology training courses. These courses are web-based, allowing you to work at your own pace on basic medical terminology practices and learning how they relate to HIPAA compliance in healthcare, as well as the inevitable implementation of ICD-10 standards with the incorporation of SNOMED-CT as standard medical terminology throughout EMR systems in all healthcare organizations.

Further, the AHIMA online bookstore is a valuable resource for books, audio seminars, journal articles, and additional resources related to medical terminology, medical coding, compliance in healthcare, and more.

Medical Terminology in Your Career

Whichever healthcare information management career path you decide to follow, a solid foundation of medical terminology will be of great benefit. As the technology that helps to manage medical records advances, the core fundamentals of medical terminology will make sure those systems deliver optimal results and ensure the quality of patient care is supported by all professionals involved.

To learn more about educational opportunities or careers that rely on accurate medical terminology, medical coding, or other forms of medical records management, we invite you to please visit the AHIMA Schools and Jobs page.