医療コミュニケーション適切化のための医学・医療用語の課題 : 世論調査にみる国民の期待とそれに応える医師の工夫

国立国語研究所国立国語研究所国立国語研究所The National Institute for Japanese LanguageThe National Institute for Japanese LanguageThe National Institute for Japanese Language医療コミュニケーションの適切化を目指して,医学・医療用語をめぐる具体的な課題を明らかにするための調査を実施した。調査結果の分析から,次の2点が明らかになった。(1)難解な医学・医療用語が増加する中で,分かりやすい言葉による医師の説明を期待する国民は多く,特に,漢語,外来語,アルファベット略語の専門用語に,言い換えや説明を求めている。医師側も,患者や家族の理解と納得が得られるよう,説明の仕方には工夫が必要だと意識している。患君や家族が理解する必要性の高い専門用語から優先的に,分かりやすく誤解を招かない言い換えや説明を検討する必要がある。(2)癌末期の対処などよくない知らせを伝えられるとき,新しい概念を表す外来語や露骨さをやわらげた表現を使ってほしい,それによって不安や心配を解消し,医師を信頼したいと望む国民は多い。医師側も患者や家族と医療情報を共有し,ラポール(共感を伴う信頼関係)を築いて対処行動をとるべきだと意識している。今後は,医師と言語研究者が協力して,具体的なコミュニケーション方略を検討し,成果を医療現場に提供していく必要がある。Exploring for the optimum medical communication, we conducted surveys to identify current language problems in medical and health care terminology, and to point out further issues. The results of the study are as follows: (1) Many people expect their doctors to give them explanations in language that is easy to understand, and not overburdened with difficult technical terms. Yet there is a continual proliferation of new and confusing medical terms, including Chinese character-based words, loanwords and acronyms, that people need doctors either to paraphrase or to explain. Likewise, doctors recognize the necessity to improve their communication skills to obtain better understanding from patients and their families. Efforts must be made to find a better way of paraphrasing and explaining difficult terminologies, starting with those terms which are in frequent use during medical consultations. (2) People prefer their doctors to use loanwords that convey newly introduced concepts, or expressions which soften the explicitness of the message, especially when they are given negative information such as the treatments in terminal cancer. This will help them to overcome their fear and worry, and to trust their doctors. For their part, doctors want to share medical information with their patients and their families, to establish rapport, and to carry out their medical treatments properly. In order to achieve better treatments, it is important to discuss effective communication strategies and to propose them to doctors. Cooperation between medicine and linguistics is essential for this urgent task