Application of medical terminology during clinical intake and clinical assessment and screening

Medical Terminology
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Medical Terminology
Medical terminology is a form of communication used by the medical practitioners to describe or refer to certain components of the human body. The terms are used to identify a component, the process that relates to the component, any conditions that might directly affect it and also any medical procedures that are carried on that specific component.
The terms are used to bring an understanding among the medical and healthcare workers. The terms ensure that there is uniformity in the language being used to refer to any component or process to be carried on a patient (Collins, 2013). The terminology used, therefore, reduces the chances of errors occurring. Additionally, the terms are also used to hide some words which, if interpreted in English can bring uncontrollable emotions on the family of the patient. Further, the language makes it easier for the documentation of the patients’ records.
Use of medical terms during patient intake
At this stage, the patient information is collected to decide the type of help that a patient is to receive. For a patient requiring counseling on addiction, terminologies used at this stage helps classify and document his or her information which is later used to decide the type of counseling he or she requires (Collins, 2013).
Use of medical terms during patient assessment and screening
At this stage, the nurses collect more information about the patients. The information collected at this stage does not only relate to the addiction of the patient but also his or her social, economic and psychological factors.

Use of terminology at this level helps the health workers to standardize the patient information such that any practitioner can understand the patient’s characteristics faster (Collins, 2013).
Screening involves taking tests on a patient to determine whether there is the presence of a certain suspected disease. The screening process is conducted on a patient without taking into account undiagnosed symptoms. At this stage, the terminologies are used to reduce the chances of the practitioners treating or diagnosing the wrong disease or condition (Collins, 2013).
References
Collins, C. (2013). A Short Course in Medical Terminology. City: LWW.