HKU Faculty of Arts Launches
Interdisciplinary Initiative on Communication in Healthcare

The Faculty of Arts of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) will launch its new Research & Impact Initiative on Communication in Healthcare (HKU RIICH) on Saturday, June 8, 2019. HKU RIICH brings together internationally recognized experts from different disciplinary fields, including linguistics and medical education, with the aim of transforming healthcare practices and healthcare education through evidence-based, translational research.

HKU RIICH recognizes that effective communication is a vital component of all aspects of healthcare, from health prevention and health maintenance to illness, treatment and recovery. Ineffective communication impacts patient safety and well-being, leads to mismanaged care, and in some cases patient death, and incurs huge losses to healthcare systems. HKU RIICH is a founding partner of the International Strategic Alliance with Harvard Medical School, Australian National University (ANU), and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, and is already collaborating with several non-governmental organizations in Hong Kong, including Mind HK and City Mental Health Alliance, in the development of workshops and information resources.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Dr. Olga Zayts, Associate Professor in the HKU School of English and Director of RIICH, stated, “Much of the previous research on healthcare communication has been conducted in western contexts. One of the great assets of establishing HKU RIICH and the Alliance with Harvard, ANU and NTU, is that they bring together researchers from more established American, Australian and European contexts and researchers from Asia. This will drive the critical study of healthcare communication and ultimately benefit healthcare professional/patient interactions in the entire Asia-Pacific Region, particularly in the fields of mental health and genetic counselling.”

Dr. Brian Chung, Clinical Associate Professor in the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine and HKU RIICH Member, added that finding ways of putting complicated science into language that is easily understood by the public will be a key focus area for the Hong Kong genome project, a government-led genomic medicine initiative that aims to improve treatments for patients with rare diseases and cancers.

The Launch will take the form of a one-day Roundtable entitled, Talking Together: Making Sense of Health Communication Research, featuring academics, medical professionals, and community stakeholders. Topics of critical importance include, medical technology in health communication, mental health and stigmatization, sex education, the medicalization of healthcare and overprescription of drugs. Members of the media are cordially invited to the event. Details are as follows:

Date: June 8, 2019 (Saturday)

Time: 9.30 am to 5.15 pm

Opening Ceremony: 9.30 am to 10.00 am

Reception: 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm

Venue: Social Sciences Chamber, 11/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, HKU

For further details of RIICH please visit: https://www.hkuriich.org/.

For media enquiries or individual interview requests, please contact Ms Cecilia Leung, Executive Officer, Faculty of Arts, Tel: (852) 3917 7150 / email: leunglsc@hku.hk.

香港大學文學院啟動跨領域醫療溝通倡議

香港大學文學院將於2019年6月8日（星期六）正式啟動全新的「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」。「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」匯集來自不同領域的國際知名專家，當中包括語言學及醫療教育界別，旨在透過實證及轉化研究，為醫療措施及醫療教育帶來改變。

「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」代表認為，從預防、保健、以至疾病、治療及復康，有效的溝通對醫療的各個範疇至為重要。溝通不良則會影響病人的安全及健康，引致護理失當，在某些情況下甚至會導致病人死亡，及造成醫療系統的巨大損失。「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」與哈佛大學醫學院、澳洲國立大學及新加坡南洋理工大學合作創建國際策略聯盟，現正與多間香港非政府機構合作，包括 Mind HK 以及 City Mental Health Alliance，共同舉辦工作坊及開發資訊。

「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」總監、香港大學文學院英文學院副教授 Olga Zayts 博士就倡議表示：「過往大部分有關醫療溝通的研究均從西方背景出發。『醫療溝通研究及影響倡議』的成立，及與哈佛大學、澳洲國立大學及新加坡南洋理工大學組織聯盟，帶來的優勢在於讓經驗較豐富的美國、澳洲及歐洲研究者與亞洲研究者集思廣益，並推動醫療溝通的批判性研究，從而為亞太地區專業醫護人員及病人的互動交流，尤其在精神健康及遺傳輔導的範疇上帶來裨益。」

「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」成員、香港大學李嘉誠醫學院臨床副教授鍾侃言醫生指出，研究如何將複雜的科學理論，轉化為大眾易於理解的語言，將會是「香港基因組計劃」的重點領域。該計劃為香港政府帶領推動的基因組醫學倡議，旨在改善患有罕見疾病及癌症病人的治療。

「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」將以為期一天的圓桌會議形式啟動，主題為「Talking Together: Making Sense of Health Communication Research」，眾學者、專業醫護人員以及社會各界持份者將會參與其中。會議探討的重點題目包括：有關醫療溝通的醫學技術、精神健康及標籤效應、性教育、醫療化以及過量處方藥物。現誠邀傳媒出席是次活動，詳情如下：

日期：2019年6月8日 (星期六)

時間：上午9時30分至下午5時15分

啟動禮：上午9時30分至10時

招待會：下午4時30分至5時30分

地點：香港大學百週年校園賽馬會教學樓11樓社會科學院會議廳

有關「醫療溝通研究及影響倡議」詳情，請瀏覽：https://www.hkuriich.org/。

傳媒如有查詢或有意安排訪問，請聯絡文學院執行主任梁樂思小姐，電話：3917 7150 / 電郵：leunglsc@hku.hk。