“It is natural for you to be afraid…”: On the discourse of web-based communication with patients

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Mazzi
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Media Representation ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Discourse Strategies

AbstractOver the last twenty years, medical discourse has attracted a great deal of scholarly research. Language in healthcare settings has been more generally analysed through genres – whether in terms of expert-to-expert or expert-to-lay communication – whereas more specific aspects include the study of discourse strategies behind the expression of empathy, problems of media representation of healthcare issues, and the role played by cultural variables in healthcare contexts. While substantial research exists on medical discourse and the transmission of medical knowledge, a number of works still tend to focus on accuracy and comprehensiveness of content rather than on the linguistic analysis of communication strategies. In light of that, the aim of this work is to substantiate the findings in the literature published so far by bringing a genuinely discourse-based perspective to bear on them. To achieve this goal, a corpus investigation was carried out of web-based resources employed by a leading nationwide organisation to communicate to the public about cancer. The study focuses on the discourse functions of frequently occurring phraseology, in the attempt to address the following questions: (a) Are there any recurrent discourse patterns that tend to be reiterated across the sections of informative healthcare materials? (b) How are patients’ needs addressed through the language of such materials? (c) More generally, how can findings be interpreted with a view to both their relevance to the context under analysis and their possible application in the language-learning classroom?

Presenting medical knowledge in multilingual context

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-302
Author(s):  
Mei-hui Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Medical Professionals ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
The Public ◽  
Vernacular Language ◽  
Local Dialect ◽  
Southern Min ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Provide Health Education

Because preventive care is a critical step in promoting public health, medical professionals provide health education in order to inform the public how to avoid diseases. However, in a multilingual society such as Taiwan, where Western medical discourse is carried on mainly in Mandarin (the official language) and English (a foreign language and the lingua franca of Western medicine), the issue of how medical professionals communicate their knowledge to the lay public, especially to elderly patients who are monolingual in the local dialect of Southern Min, is a pressing concern. In this paper, I examine two osteoporosis education talks conducted by a male visiting physician at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. My analysis focuses on the speaker’s choice of language and lexical synonyms in conveying the two key concepts of ‘bone quality’ and ‘non-solid’, i.e., osteoporosis. By applying Ferguson’s high and low varieties (1972: 234) and Tsai’s four principles in quantifying lexical formality (2008), I observe that, due to the lack of an established writing system, Southern Min is hardly used in the written slides of the speaker’s presentation, and in fact occurs even less often than English does. Instead, Chinese characters representing Mandarin are the dominant language used in the written messages. While this form of presentation might cause comprehension problems for illiterate and monolingual speakers of Southern Min, this communication problem is offset by the speaker’s preference for Southern Min, the vernacular language, in the spoken form. Further discourse analysis leads to my arguments that (1) the speaker’s preference for linguistic expressions with less formality in the spoken discourse is a strategy in providing comprehensive and easy-to-access medical knowledge for the lay audience, (2) the de-formalization process of medical jargon moves from the higher codes to the lower ones in the discourse flow, and (3) the complementary distribution of higher codes on the written slides and lower codes in the spoken form facilitates the speaker’s task of delivering medical knowledge. The pedagogical implications of this research provide a practical guideline for medical professionals with regard to promoting the public’s medical literacy.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF POPULATION SERVICE ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM WITH PIECES METHOD IN KEMIRI VILLAGE HEAD OFFICE BANTEN

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45
Author(s):  
Rosdiana Rosdiana ◽  
Padeli Padeli ◽  
Revi Sajidah Sri Handayani ◽  
Rifky Alfian
Keyword(s):  
Human Error ◽  
Unified Modeling Language ◽  
Integrated System ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Administration System ◽  
Unified Modeling ◽  
The Public ◽  
File Storage ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Village

The public service administration system at the government offices of the Kemiri village office in the Kemiri District currently does not have a computerized and integrated system. Because the system runs, residents who submit letters for administrative completeness, still use the Ms.Word / Ms.Excel application. of course has many weaknesses including human error, not neat in file storage, resulting in the lengthy process of searching and making a cover letter and required reports. The analytical method used in this study is to use PIECES (Performance, Informance, Economy, Control, Efficiency, Service) analysis, the design of the model uses UML (Unified Modeling Language). The results of this study are web-based letter information systems at the Office of the Village Chief of Kemiri that can accessed using a local computer browser. Thus the information letter needed by the Kemiri Village community and more effective and efficient in making the letter.

scholarly journals Quantifying Media Effects, Its Content, and Role in Promoting Community Awareness of Chikungunya Epidemic in Bangladesh

Epidemiologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94
Author(s):  
Mst. Marium Begum ◽  
Osman Ulvi ◽  
Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic ◽  
Mallory R. Walsh ◽  
Hasan Tarek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Study Objective ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Vector Borne ◽  
Media Outlet ◽  
And Control

Background: Chikungunya is a vector-borne disease, mostly present in tropical and subtropical regions. The virus is spread by Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus mosquitos and symptoms include high fever to severe joint pain. Dhaka, Bangladesh, suffered an outbreak of chikungunya in 2017 lasting from April to September. With the goal of reducing cases, social media was at the forefront during this outbreak and educated the public about symptoms, prevention, and control of the virus. Popular web-based sources such as the top dailies in Bangladesh, local news outlets, and Facebook spread awareness of the outbreak. Objective: This study sought to investigate the role of social and mainstream media during the chikungunya epidemic. The study objective was to determine if social media can improve awareness of and practice associated with reducing cases of chikungunya. Methods: We collected chikungunya-related information circulated from the top nine television channels in Dhaka, Bangladesh, airing from 1st April–20th August 2017. All the news published in the top six dailies in Bangladesh were also compiled. The 50 most viewed chikungunya-related Bengali videos were manually coded and analyzed. Other social media outlets, such as Facebook, were also analyzed to determine the number of chikungunya-related posts and responses to these posts. Results: Our study showed that media outlets were associated with reducing cases of chikungunya, indicating that media has the potential to impact future outbreaks of these alpha viruses. Each media outlet (e.g., web, television) had an impact on the human response to an individual’s healthcare during this outbreak. Conclusions: To prevent future outbreaks of chikungunya, media outlets and social media can be used to educate the public regarding prevention strategies such as encouraging safe travel, removing stagnant water sources, and assisting with tracking cases globally to determine where future outbreaks may occur.

scholarly journals Development of an electronic conversation aid to support shared decision making for children with acute otitis media

JAMIA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana L Anderson ◽  
e Silva Lucas Oliveira J ◽  
Juan P Brito ◽  
Ian G Hargraves ◽  
Erik P Hess
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Shared Decision Making ◽  
Otitis Media ◽  
Acute Otitis Media ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Complication Rates ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Quality Issue ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective The overuse of antibiotics for acute otitis media (AOM) in children is a healthcare quality issue in part arising from conflicting parent and physician understanding of the risks and benefits of antibiotics for AOM. Our objective was to develop a conversation aid that supports shared decision making (SDM) with parents of children who are diagnosed with non-severe AOM in the acute care setting. Materials and Methods We developed a web-based encounter tool following a human-centered design approach that includes active collaboration with parents, clinicians, and designers using literature review, observations of clinical encounters, parental and clinician surveys, and interviews. Insights from these processes informed the iterative creation of prototypes that were reviewed and field-tested in patient encounters. Results The ear pain conversation aid includes five sections: (1) A home page that opens the discussion on the etiologies of AOM; (2) the various options available for AOM management; (3) a pictograph of the impact of antibiotic therapy on pain control; (4) a pictograph of complication rates with and without antibiotics; and (5) a summary page on management choices. This open-access, web-based tool is located at www.earpaindecisionaid.org. Conclusions We collaboratively developed an evidence-based conversation aid to facilitate SDM for AOM. This decision aid has the potential to improve parental medical knowledge of AOM, physician/parent communication, and possibly decrease the overuse of antibiotics for this condition.

Perceptions Regarding the Academic and Cognitive Performance of Individuals With Cleft Lip and/or Palate

2021 ◽  
pp. 105566562199530
Author(s):  
İlkem Kara ◽  
Aydan Baştuğ Dumbak ◽  
Maviş Emel Kulak Kayıkcı
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
General Public ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Public ◽  
Adverse Impacts ◽  
Facial Difference ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Introduction: Factors such as teachers’ appropriate support and social interactions have an impact on the academic performance of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). This study was designed to investigate the perceptions of the teachers and the general public about the academic and cognitive performance of individuals with CL/P. Methods: This study was included 360 (male/female = 102/258) teachers and 640 (male/female = 259/381) participants that represent the general public. Anonymized web-based and paper-and-pencil self-administered questionnaire that included multiple-choice and yes/no questions were administered. Within-group differences and intergroup differences were analyzed in terms of academic and cognitive performance. Results: Most of the teachers and the general public indicated that the academic and cognitive performance of individuals with CL/P is the same as their unaffected peers. A significantly higher proportion of the teachers indicated that the academic performance of children with CL/P is the same as their unaffected peers than the general public. Conclusion: Considering that the general public’s attitudes and appropriate teacher support are crucial to prevent adverse impacts on the lives of individuals with CL/P, it is important to support teachers with the appropriate information and to encourage the public to recognize that everybody with a facial difference should be treated as an individual rather than a disability.

The Entextualization of Ayurveda as Intellectual Property

2012 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Wolfgram
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
Linguistic Anthropology ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rights Discourse ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThis article documents the practices of pharmaceutical creativity in Ayurveda, focusing in particular on how practitioners appropriate multiple sources to innovate medical knowledge. Drawing on research in linguistic anthropology on the social circulation of discourse—a process calledentextualization—I describe how the ways in which Ayurveda practitioners innovate medical knowledge confounds the dichotomous logic of intellectual property (IP) rights discourse, which opposes traditional collective knowledge and modern individual innovation. While it is clear that these categories do not comprehend the complex nature of creativity in Ayurveda, I also use the concept of entextualization to describe how recent historical shifts in the circulation of discourse have caused a partial entailment of this opposition between the individual and the collectivity. Ultimately, I argue that the method exemplified in this article of tracking the social circulation of medical discourse highlights both the empirical complexity of so-called traditional creativity, and the politics of imposing the categories of IP rights discourse upon that creativity, situated as it often is, at the margins of the global economy.

LEVERAGE: Reciprocal peer tutoring over broadband networks

ReCALL ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 133-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Wong ◽  
Agnès Fauverge
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Peer Tutoring ◽  
Computer Network ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Application Sharing ◽  
Quality Video ◽  
Reciprocal Peer Tutoring ◽  
Set Up ◽  
High Quality Video ◽  
Experimental Use

This paper reports on the experimental use of a broadband computer network hypermedia environment for language learning (French, English and Spanish). Using Web-based resources, students engage in a collaborative task over a network which offers high quality video-conferencing, application sharing and access to authentic multimedia resources. One of the main aims was to establish the practicalities of providing learners of languages with opportunities to engage in reciprocal peer tutoring. After outlining the pedagogical assumptions, and describing the set-up of the network-based learning environment, the trials are analysed, and the effectiveness of network-based language learning in supporting collaborative learning is discussed.

scholarly journals Can Google Translate Rewire Your L2 English Processing?

Digital ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-85
Author(s):  
Natália Resende ◽  
Andy Way
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Vocabulary Learning ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Syntactic Priming ◽  
Web Based ◽  
English Syntax

In this article, we address the question of whether exposure to the translated output of MT systems could result in changes in the cognitive processing of English as a second language (L2 English). To answer this question, we first conducted a survey with 90 Brazilian Portuguese L2 English speakers with the aim of understanding how and for what purposes they use web-based MT systems. To investigate whether MT systems are capable of influencing L2 English cognitive processing, we carried out a syntactic priming experiment with 32 Brazilian Portuguese speakers. We wanted to test whether speakers re-use in their subsequent speech in English the same syntactic alternative previously seen in the MT output, when using the popular Google Translate system to translate sentences from Portuguese into English. The results of the survey show that Brazilian Portuguese L2 English speakers use Google Translate as a tool supporting their speech in English as well as a source of English vocabulary learning. The results of the syntactic priming experiment show that exposure to an English syntactic alternative through GT can lead to the re-use of the same syntactic alternative in subsequent speech even if it is not the speaker’s preferred syntactic alternative in English. These findings suggest that GT is being used as a tool for language learning purposes and so is indeed capable of rewiring the processing of L2 English syntax.

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