Health professional-patient communication practices in East Asia: An integrative review of an emerging field of research and practice in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Mainland China

Jack K H Pun; E Angela Chan; Sophie Wang; Diana Slade

doi:10.1016/j.pec.2018.01.018

Health professional-patient communication practices in East Asia: An integrative review of an emerging field of research and practice in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Mainland China

Patient Educ Couns. 2018 Jul;101(7):1193-1206. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.01.018. Epub 2018 Jan 31.

Authors

Jack K H Pun¹, E Angela Chan², Sophie Wang³, Diana Slade⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of English, The City University of Hong Kong, 83, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Department of Education, St Antony's College, University of Oxford, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Institute for Communication in Health Care, School of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. Electronic address: jackpun@me.com.
² The Institute for Communication in Health Care, School of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
³ Faculty of Arts and Social Science, The University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁴ The Institute for Communication in Health Care, School of Languages, Literature and Linguistics, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia; School of Literature, Language and Linguistics, ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

PMID: 29422231
DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.01.018

Abstract

Objective: To provide an integrative review of literature on health communication in East Asia and detail culturally-specific influences.

Methods: Using PRISMA model, search of PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Knowledge, ERIC and CINAHL databases were conducted for studies between January 2000 and March 2017, using the terms 'clinician/health professional-patient', 'nurse/doctor-patient, 'communication' and 'Asia'.

Results: 38 studies were included: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The existing body of research on clinician patient communication in East Asia can be classified: 1) understanding the roles and expectations of the nurse, clinician, patient, and family in clinician-patient consultations: a) nurse-patient communication; b) doctor-patient communication; c) the role of family member; and 2) factors affecting quality of care: d) cultural attitudes towards death and terminal illnesses; e) communication preferences affecting trust, decision-making and patient satisfaction; f) the extent to which patient centred care is being implemented in practice; and g) communication practices in multilingual/multi-disciplinary environments.

Conclusion: The review detailed the complexity and heterogeneity of clinician-patient communication across East Asia. The studies reviewed indicate that research in East Asia is starting to move beyond a preference for Western-based communication practices.

Practice implications: There is a need to consider local culture in understanding and interpreting medical encounters in East Asia. The paper highlights the need for a specific culturally-appropriate model of health communication in East Asia which may significantly improve relationships between clinicians and patients.

Keywords: Communication; Doctor-patient; East-Asia; Empathy; Health care communication; Hong Kong; Japan; Mainland China; Nurse-patient; Patient involvement; Patient-centred care; Review; South Korea; Taiwan; Trust.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

China
Communication
Decision Making
Empathy
Family
Health Communication*
Hong Kong
Humans
Japan
Nurse-Patient Relations*
Patient Satisfaction
Patient-Centered Care*
Physician-Patient Relations*
Professional-Family Relations*
Quality of Health Care*
Republic of Korea
Taiwan
Trust