Kyoto University School of Public Health

Medical Communication

准教授: 岩隈 美穂Miho Iwakuma, Ph.D.

The Department of Medical Communication was established in 2008 at Kyoto University with the aim of “Connecting Medicine and Society through Communication,” and is chaired by Miho Iwakuma, Ph.D. Medical communication studies are not limited to research in communications between physicians and patients. The department welcomes prospective students with various backgrounds not only in medicine but also in areas such as social sciences (e.g., communication studies, international studies, and sociology), and especially those who have clear, realistic research plans.

Education

The department offers the following three courses.

  1. Introduction to medical communication
  2. Medical sociology
  3. Advanced qualitative research

Research

The department chair (Dr. Iwakuma) is interested in the following research topics. (Students can choose their own topic of interest.)

  1. Research on “isms” (ageism, ablism, etc.)
  2. Social determinants of health (SDH)
  3. Research on health communication
    ・Communication with people with disabilities and the elderly
    ・Patient experience (PX)
    ・Working environment of colorectal cancer survivors
  4. International comparison of “narratives of illness” using DIPEx
  5. Research on aging among people with disabilities (Aging with Disability)
  6. Mixed methods research (MMR)
    ・By combining qualitative and quantitative research approaches, and by combining the strengths of different research methods to compensate for their weaknesses, it is possible to explain complex health communication events in a multifaceted manner.

Recent Publications

  1. Iwakuma, M., & Son, D. (forthcoming). “Cultural Fusion in Physician-Patient Communication and Decision-Making in Japan.” In J. Nussbaum (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.985
  2. Morishita, M., & Iwakuma, M. (in press). Diffusion of Innovations from the West and Their Influences on Medical Education in Japan. In J. Nussbaum (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.985
  3. Iwakuma, M., Miyamoto, K., & Murata, J. (2021). Changes in perceptions of Japanese university students toward disability: A mixed methods study. International Journal of Disability, Development & Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2020.1865521
  4. 上野悦子・岩隈美穂（2020）．地域共生社会の人材育成とＳＤＨ教育に活用可能な「地域に根差したインクルーシブな開発」（Community-based Inclusive Development：CBID）の概念とその応用例の紹介．医学教育、51(6)、669-677．
  5. 岩隈美穂（2019）．障害学・当事者研究から見た 隠れたカリキュラムとIPE・IPW．保健医療福祉連携，12，96－104.
At a Social Determinants of Health (SDH) workshop

At a Social Determinants of Health (SDH) workshop