Unit 2 Introduction

Medical English is the language spoken in every area of healthcare in the United States and even in many foreign countries. Having a clear and uniform way of talking about the body is critical to ensure patients receive accurate care and to help minimize errors. To avoid confusion, healthcare workers use a set of standardized terms when talking about the human body.

Objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:

• Name the directional terms used to describe the human body in Medical English.
• Identify the components of a medical record which uses the Subjective, Objective, Assessment and Plan (SOAP) note format.