Plain language in the healthcare of Japan:a systematic review of“plain Japanese”  

作　　者：Hatsune Kido Soichiro Saeki Mayu Hiraiwa Masashi Yasunaga Rie Tomizawa Chika Honda Toshio Fukuoka Kaori Minamitani 

机构地区：[1]Department of Medical Education,Kurashiki Central Hospital,Kurashiki,Okayama 710-8602,Japan [2]Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine,Tokyo 162-8655,Japan [3]Department of Public Health,Graduate School of Medicine,Osaka University,Suita,Osaka 565-0871,Japan [4]School of Nursing,Graduate School of Nursing,Osaka Metropolitan University,Osaka 545-0051,Japan [5]Department of Public Health Nursing,Shiga University of Medical Science,Otsu,Shiga 520-2192,Japan [6]Department of General Medicine,Kurashiki Central Hospital,Kurashiki,Okayama 710-8602,Japan [7]Department of International Medical Care,Rinku General Medical Center,Izumisano,Osaka 598-0048,Japan

出　　处：《Global Health Journal》2024年第3期113-118,共6页全球健康杂志（英文）

摘　　要：Objective:Despite the decrease in the number of foreign visitors and residents in Japan due to the coronavirus disease 2019,a resurgence is remarkable from 2022.However,Japan's medical support system for foreign patients,especially residents,is inadequate,with language barriers potentially causing health disparities.Comprehensive interpretation and translation services are challenging,but“plain Japanese”may be a viable alternative for foreign patients with basic Japanese language skills.This study explores the application and obstacles of plain Japanese in the medical sector.Methods:A literature review was performed across these databases:Web of Science,PubMed,Google Scholar,Scopus,CINAHL Plus,Springer Link and Ichushi-Web(Japanese medical literature).The search covered themes related to healthcare,care for foreign patients,and scholarly articles,and was conducted in July 2023.Results:The study incorporated five papers.Each paper emphasized the language barriers foreign residents in Japan face when accessing healthcare,highlighting the critical role and necessity of plain Japanese in medical environments.Most of the reports focused on the challenges of delivering medical care to foreign patients and the training of healthcare professionals in using plain Japanese for communication.Conclusion:The knowledge and application of plain Japanese among healthcare professionals are inadequate,and literature also remains scarce.With the increasing number of foreign residents in Japan,the establishment of a healthcare system that effectively uses plain Japanese is essential.However,plain Japanese may not be the optimal linguistic assistance in certain situations,thus it is imperative to encourage more research and reports on healthcare services using plain Japanese.

关 键 词：Plain Japanese Easy Japanese Plain language Foreign residents Healthcareaccess Language barriers Emigrants and immigrants 

分 类 号：R19[医药卫生—卫生事业管理]