Kairei Yuu1), Francois Niyonsaba1)2)3)4), Ai Noda1)2)3)5), Kazuya Hara1)2)3), Naoko Ono1)2)3)
1) Department of Medical Interpreting, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University
2) Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Graduate School of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University
3) Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Juntendo University
4) Atopic Disease Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine, Juntendo University
5) Department of Public Health, Juntendo University
Background: Globalization of healthcare has increased the use of medical interpreters. Healthcare providers typically seek interpreters with advanced communication skills. This study sought to identify these skills and associated factors. Methods: We surveyed 99 healthcare professionals in the registry of a research company using non-probability sampling. The online survey covered demographics, medical interpretation experience, compensation, and desired communication skills. The data were analyzed using Spearman’s rank correlation and logistic regression. Results: The results revealed that healthcare providers sought the following skills in interpreters: response skills, linguistic, non-verbal, cross-cultural, and interpersonal communication skills, understanding of the patient-provider relationship, and cultural mediation skills. Furthermore, expectations of interpreters varied by medical profession, with healthcare professionals other than physicians (odds ratio = 0.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.04?0.46) tending to demand a higher level of communication skills. Discussion: Providers expect interpreters to understand patient and provider intentions/emotions and establish a trusting relationship between them, as well as bridge cultural differences. Non-physician professionals, such as nurses, tend to have longer, more multifaceted patient interactions and rely more on conversation to obtain information, thus demanding more advanced interpreter skills.
Kiyoko Sugahara1), Renon Tejima 2), Ayano Hagiwara3), Sachiko Nagaya4)
1) School of Nursing University of Shizuoka
2) Hamamatsu University Hospital
3) Hamamatsu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences
4) Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
This study aimed to clarify the relationship between nursing students’ facial expression recognition ability and communication skills. Facial expression recognition ability was measured using the Adult Facial Expression Recognition Test, and communication skills were assessed using ENDCOREs, a communication skill scale. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was employed to analyze the relationships between these variables. The study involved 84 fourth-year nursing students. The average accuracy rate for the Adult Facial Expression Recognition Test was 78.3%. The correlation analysis between the Adult Facial Expression Recognition Test and the communication skills scale revealed a significant positive correlation between decoding ability, one of the main skills measured by ENDCOREs, and facial expression recognition ability. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was found between facial expression recognition ability and three of the sub-skills in ENDCOREs: moral awareness, facial expression, and emotional sensitivity. By showing a significant positive correlation with facial expression recognition ability, all of these skills were categorized as fundamental communication skills. This suggests that individuals with greater facial expression recognition ability tend to have stronger foundational communication skills. Promoting the development of these communication skills may enhance nursing students’ ability to recognize the facial expressions of their patients, which is essential in nursing practice.
Misa Nagata1)
1) Faculty School of Pharmacy, Hyogo Medical University
We conducted this study to examine how small group discussions (SGDs), in which students take on the role of a person with a disability related to vision, hearing, or speech articulation, influence first-year pharmacy students’ awareness of communication challenges. At the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wakayama Medical University, first-year students participate in SGDs to simulate real-life consensus-building experiences. Using text mining, we analyzed the pre- and postreports of 194 students who participated in SGDs during the 2021?2022 academic year. In the pre-reports, the word “communication” clustered with “content” and “method,” whereas in the post-reports, it clustered with “anxiety” and “obstacles.” Our findings suggest that, after experiencing SGDs focused on consensus-building with individuals assigned roles simulating disabilities, students’ awareness shifted from a knowledge-based focus on how to convey information to a communication perspective grounded in the actual difficulties faced by those receiving that information. These findings suggest that SGDs provide an opportunity for pharmacy students to reflect on the responses and considerations necessary to fulfill their professional responsibilities.
Tomoko Yamanaka 1), Fumiko Nishikiori 2), Fumika Yokoyama3),Kazuko Hiyoshi3)
1) Aino University, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Science
2) Ristumeikan University, Graduate School of Human Science Doctoral program
3) Taisei Gakuin University, Department of Nursing
In Europe and the United States, some local governments support youth clinics for children and adolescents. However, in Japan, no government-supported youth clinics existed until November 2023, when we started a youth clinic under the auspices of City A. In April 2024, we established an official LINE account to provide children and youth with online services in addition to face-to-face consultations. The purpose of the current study was to clarify the links between face-toface consultations at our Youth Clinic and our official LINE consultations, and to identify future needs and prospects. Between April and September 2024, eight youths (12?25 years old) engaged in LINE consultations averaging 1 hour per session. Individuals who had had face-to-face consultations discussed their physical condition and other concerns through the official LINE account, and used it as a route to the hospital or welfare agencies. However, engaging via LINE did not lead to face-to-face consultations at the youth clinic. We identified the following needs: securing human resources and funding for face-to-face consultations, improving the skills of social networking service counselors for LINE consultations, and increasing the use of LINE counseling sessions through wider publicity.
Masayo Hayakawa 1)2), Otome Watanabe 3)4), Kumiko Shiga3), Chikako Yamaki3), Tomoko Takayama3)5)
1) Department of Healthcare Information Management, University of Tokyo Hospital, The University of Tokyo
2) Division of Drug Informatics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Keio University
3) Division of Cancer Information Service, Institute for Cancer Control, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan
4) Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine
5) Graduate School of Public Health, Shizuoka Graduate University of Public Health
Introduction: Although evidence-based resources such as medical practice guidelines have been developed, the extent to which they are practically useful remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to evaluate how well three Japanese resources? clinical practice guidelines, patient versions of medical practice guidelines, and the Cancer Information Service?provide relevant information in response to patient questions during breast cancer consultations. We also explored what additional support might be necessary when the available information does not fully answer patients’ questions. Methods: A total of 489 questions were extracted from 70 telephone consultations related to breast cancer. Each question was assessed to determine whether relevant reference information was available from the three sources. Questions lacking such information were further analyzed qualitatively. Results: Reference information was available for 358 questions (73.2%), with coverage by patient versions of clinical practice guidelines (62.2%), the Cancer Information Service (52.8%), and medical practice guidelines (32.1%). The remaining 131 questions were classified into two major themes: strategies for obtaining optimal care and personal or treatment-related anxieties. Conclusion: Although most questions were supported by existing resources, emotional concerns and decision-making support often lacked coverage, indicating the importance of integrating information provision with supportive counseling.
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