title: The influence of medical jargon mixed with foreign terminology in the Japanese clinical environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify patient reports about their difficulties with medical jargon, to classify the most problematic types, and to examine the socio-demographic factors associated with them.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional nationwide survey (October 6 and November 4, 2004) was conducted. Out of 4,500 Japanese people (aged 15 years and older) who had seen physicians, 3,090 agreed to participate (response rate: 69%). Participants were asked the following: "Do you find physicians that use medical jargon difficult to understand?" and "What type of words did your physician use that required further explanation or clarification?"
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 3,090 respondents, 1,117 participants (36.1%; 95% confidence interval, 34.5-37.8%) reported difficulties understanding medical jargon. Those between the ages of 30 and 49 years, self-employed workers, homemakers, and unemployed individuals experienced the most difficulties. Difficult jargon included: 1) technical Japanese words, such as Kakutan Saibo-shin (sputum cytology) (57% of participants); 2) English medical terminology, such as clinical path (57%); and 3) English medical abbreviations, such as EBM (47%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to avoiding technical words when communicating with their patients, Japanese physicians should consider the unique medical situation in which foreign terminology and abbreviations are used in Japan. Translation of foreign terminology into Japanese can be helpful for patients. Physicians should take the initiative to educate patients and familiarize them with foreign terminology and abbreviations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St. Luke's International Hospital, Tokyo.
authors.forename: Yasuharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: Sawako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.forename: Makiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Motomura
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D009626:Terminology as Topic