疗效

• Pinyin: liáo xiào
• Hanzi breakdown: 疗 = 疒 (illness radical) + 了 (complete); 效 = 交 + 攴 (effect/result — to accomplish through disciplined effort)

Meaning

Therapeutic effect; curative effect; the effectiveness of a medical treatment in producing the desired health outcome.

A key term in medical, pharmacological, and clinical contexts. 疗效显著 (significant therapeutic effect), 疗效欠佳 (poor therapeutic outcome), 疗效评估 (efficacy assessment), 疗效验证 (efficacy verification). Also used in the extended sense of the 'effectiveness' of any remedial or corrective measure. Closely related to 有效性 (effectiveness) and 效果 (result), but specifically tied to treatment contexts.

Examples

1. 这种新药在早期临床试验中展现出良好的疗效，已进入第三阶段试验。 This new drug has shown good results in early clinical trials and has entered Phase III.
2. 医生定期评估患者的疗效，并根据具体情况适时调整治疗方案。 Doctors regularly evaluate the treatment’s effectiveness and adjust the plan as needed based on the situation.
3. 与传统化疗相比，靶向治疗在特定癌症中的疗效更为显著，且副作用较小。 Compared with traditional chemotherapy, targeted therapy is more effective for certain cancers and has fewer side effects.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, pharmacology, clinical research

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 临床数据表明，该药物对耐药性肺结核的疗效优于现有标准治疗方案。(Clinical data indicate that the drug's therapeutic effect on drug-resistant tuberculosis is superior to existing standard treatment regimens.)
• 疗效评估应综合考量症状改善程度、生活质量提升和不良反应发生率等多项指标。(Efficacy assessment should comprehensively consider multiple indicators, including degree of symptom improvement, quality of life enhancement, and adverse reaction rates.)

Don't Say

• 将'疗效'用于非医疗效果的语境 — 疗效有特定的医学内涵，形容一般事物的效果应用'效果'或'成效'

Origin & History

疗 (to treat/heal) + 效 (effect/result) — the measurable result produced by a course of treatment

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal