Characterizing International Medical Students’ Communication in Medical Interviews

Abstract

This study sought to identify the characteristics of international medical students’ communication in medical interviews with patients. The identified characteristics were then compared with those of medical students who were native Japanese speakers. The two sets of students were asked to conduct medical interviews with simulated patients. The Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) was employed to analyze the data obtained from the interviews. The analysis revealed that, in comparison to Japanese medical students, the international students asked fewer open-ended questions and verified the information provided by patients less frequently. It is possible that international students ask fewer open-ended questions because of communication barriers: open-ended questions require more complex linguistic expressions than close-ended questions. International students may verify information provided by patients less frequently because they prioritize asking questions over listening to and endeavoring to understand their patients. This study suggests that perhaps it is inadequate to provide international medical students with only question patterns for medical interviews. For effective communication with patients, it may be necessary to provide them with examples of specific, commonly used linguistic expressions and examples of usage.