Which suffix refers to the process of recording information in medical documentation?

• A. -gram
• B. -megaly
• C. -graphy
• D. -scopy

Answer: (C)

The concept tested is how medical terminology uses suffixes to indicate actions or procedures. The suffix -graphy designates the process of recording information, which is exactly what’s involved when documenting data in medicine—think electrocardiography, auscultography, or angiography, where the focus is on producing a recorded record of a physiologic process. In contrast, -gram refers to the actual record or tracing that’s produced, -megaly means enlargement, and -scopy means the act of examining or viewing with a scope. Because -graphy names the act of recording itself, it best fits the idea of recording information in medical documentation.