Understanding Medical Terms, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

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Understanding Medical Definitions and Terms

When traveling to a foreign country, it is important understand the language and customs. Health care is like a foreign country.

Patients and families can sometimes feel overwhelmed by the medical terminology used by health care professionals. To be successful in obtaining the best medical care and minimize the accompanying stresses, it is necessary to understand the medical, financial and special education terminology.

To help, the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center has compiled the following list of web sites. Each provides a simple, easy-to-understand glossary of commonly used terms.

Financial and Insurance Terms

Health Insurance Resource Center, consumer's glossary of health insurance terms
The National Center on Financing for Children with Special Health Care Needs has compiled a glossary of managed care terms for consumers

Medical Terms

Special Education Terms

Bridges4Kids provides glossaries on special education and related terms.
National Center for Learning Disabilities provides a glossary of special education terms.
Whose IDEA is This: A Resouce Guide for Parents, published by the Ohio Department of Education, provides an appendix of commonly used terms and definitions of disability conditions at the end of the publication.
Wrightslaw Glossary of Special Education and Legal Terms can help you understand the new terminology.