The ethics of semantics in medicine.
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_31434B56B633
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Review (review): journal as complete as possible of one specific subject, written based on exhaustive analyses from published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The ethics of semantics in medicine.
Journal
Journal of medical ethics
ISSN
1473-4257 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0306-6800
Publication state
Published
Issued date
12/2022
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
48
Number
12
Pages
1026-1031
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
In this paper, we discuss the largely neglected topic of semantics in medicine and the associated ethical issues. We analyse several key medical terms from the informed perspective of the healthcare professional, the lay perspective of the patient and the patient's family, and the descriptive perspective of what the term actually signifies objectively. The choice of a particular medical term may deliver different meanings when viewed from these differing perspectives. Consequently, several ethical issues may arise. Technical terms that are not commonly understood by lay people may be used by physicians, consciously or not, and may obscure the understanding of the situation by lay people. The choice of particular medical terms may be accidental use of jargon, an attempt to ease the communication of psychologically difficult information, or an attempt to justify a preferred course of action and/or to manipulate the decision-making process.
Keywords
Humans, Semantics, Medicine, Physicians, Communication, Ethics, Medical, Ethics, Decision Making, clinical ethics, ethics, paternalism, patient perspective
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
15/09/2021 10:50
Last modification date
22/09/2023 6:57