An Analysis of the Teamwork between Doctors and Medical Interpreters: Derived from Simulated Consultations Mediated by Japanese-Thai Interpreters

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Elisa Nishikoto

Abstract

This study reports on the results of the analysis of the teamwork between doctors and Japanese-Thai interpreters which were derived from six simulated consultations. Residents of a university hospital participated as doctors, senior Japanese volunteers played the role of patients, and Japanese major students taking the course “Interpretation” were the interpreters. All simulations were video-recorded and later transcribed using the transcription method of Discourse Analysis. Analysis was carried out from a sociocultural linguistics perspective and the results were summarized in a descriptive way.


The results revealed that doctors and interpreters faced challenges in three main areas: (a) communication, (b) language, and (c) interpersonal relationships. Based on the results, a practical guideline for doctors and Japanese-Thai interpreters is presented as a reference for triadic interactions.

Article Details

Section
บทความวิจัยและบทความวิชาการ

References

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