The use of metaphor in doctor-patient communication
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2024.10.10
- VernacularTitle:医患沟通中的“隐喻”及其运用
- Author:
Gong CHEN
1
;
Junrong LIU
1
Author Information
1. Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences， Guangzhou Medical University， Guangzhou 511436， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
metaphor;
doctor-patient communication;
presupposition;
indeterminacy;
philosophy of language
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2024;37(10):1189-1194
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Metaphors serve as important linguistic tools in doctor-patient communication， especially in describing and elucidating medical conditions to patients. Metaphors are widely used in doctor-patient communication because they represent complex medical terminology and diagnostic information in a more vivid and comprehensible way， which allows patients to understand and accept what doctors intend to convey. Also， doctors use metaphors to alleviate patients’ fear and anxiety， thus enhancing trust and cooperation between them. However， it is noted that some challenges should be considered. In other words， the misuse of metaphors may cause misunderstandings， which could compromise the effectiveness of treatments. In this context， the proper use of metaphors is a significant issue in linguistics and communication studies. The development of philosophy of language not only offers various approaches to account for metaphors but also raises some issues in how doctors and patients understand metaphors. One point relates to the indeterminacy of metaphors， which means a single metaphor could have multiple interpretations. If this occurs， a patient may become confused when a doctor utters a metaphor. Another point involves the presuppositions in metaphors， which emphasize the implicit assumptions or background knowledge that a metaphor relies on for its interpretation. These presuppositions influence how a patient understands a metaphor. If the patient does not share the same presuppositions as the doctor， they may misunderstand what the doctor intends to convey. The aim of this paper is to address the challenges of metaphor use in doctor-patient communication through theoretical analysis， thereby fostering harmonious doctor-patient relationships and improving the quality and effectiveness of healthcare services.
