Chapter 15. On indicating and dealing with uncertainty in healthcare dialogues
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Julia Gärtner
Abstract
In the context of diagnostic uncertainty moments of irritation can arise, which linguistically disguise uncertainty of the physicians or result in uncertainty on the patient’s side. We investigated the occurrence of uncertainty in history-taking encounters by reconstructing the dealing with uncertainty within the interaction process. The analysis is based on data from a simulation where medical students in the physician’s role interact with simulated patients. In the case study, our hermeneutical in-depth-analysis of one interaction process between a medical student and a patient reveals a certain communication pattern by the medical student resulting from an emerging dilemma which consists of a diagnostically unreasonable procedure but an offer of ‘at least something’ to the desperate patient.
Abstract
In the context of diagnostic uncertainty moments of irritation can arise, which linguistically disguise uncertainty of the physicians or result in uncertainty on the patient’s side. We investigated the occurrence of uncertainty in history-taking encounters by reconstructing the dealing with uncertainty within the interaction process. The analysis is based on data from a simulation where medical students in the physician’s role interact with simulated patients. In the case study, our hermeneutical in-depth-analysis of one interaction process between a medical student and a patient reveals a certain communication pattern by the medical student resulting from an emerging dilemma which consists of a diagnostically unreasonable procedure but an offer of ‘at least something’ to the desperate patient.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. Fostering interdisciplinary knowledge translation at the interface between healthcare communication and pragmatics 1
-
Section 1. Analytical approaches to health communication
- Chapter 1. Methodological insights for the study of communication in health 16
- Chapter 2. Microanalysis of Clinical Interaction (MCI) 43
- Chapter 3. Public disagreements among health experts and their polarizing effects during a pandemic health crisis 75
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Section 2. Intercultural and mediated communication
- Chapter 4. Face-to-face intercultural communication and mediated intercultural communication as related to health communication 106
- Chapter 5. On managing dyadic sequences in triadic clinician-patient-interpreter interaction 124
- Chapter 6. Pursuing understanding or engaging the patient? 144
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Section 3. Negotiation and meaning construction
- Chapter 7. Negotiation and joint construction of meaning (or why health providers need philosophy of communication) 172
- Chapter 8. Metapragmatics and reflections in support of knowledge transfer and common ground in doctor-patient interaction 200
- Chapter 9. The pediatrician’s normalizing practice in well-child visits 227
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Section 4. Expertise and common ground
- Chapter 10. Establishing common ground to achieve therapeutic goals 252
- Chapter 11. Whose common ground? 263
- Chapter 12. Peer experts as actors for shared understanding in Spanish online health fora 291
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Section 5. Uncertainty and evasive answers
- Chapter 13. Uncertainty in healthcare 314
- Chapter 14. The pragmatics of diagnostic uncertainty 330
- Chapter 15. On indicating and dealing with uncertainty in healthcare dialogues 359
- Chapter 16. How uncertainty can be turned into shared understanding 373
- Index 395
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction. Fostering interdisciplinary knowledge translation at the interface between healthcare communication and pragmatics 1
-
Section 1. Analytical approaches to health communication
- Chapter 1. Methodological insights for the study of communication in health 16
- Chapter 2. Microanalysis of Clinical Interaction (MCI) 43
- Chapter 3. Public disagreements among health experts and their polarizing effects during a pandemic health crisis 75
-
Section 2. Intercultural and mediated communication
- Chapter 4. Face-to-face intercultural communication and mediated intercultural communication as related to health communication 106
- Chapter 5. On managing dyadic sequences in triadic clinician-patient-interpreter interaction 124
- Chapter 6. Pursuing understanding or engaging the patient? 144
-
Section 3. Negotiation and meaning construction
- Chapter 7. Negotiation and joint construction of meaning (or why health providers need philosophy of communication) 172
- Chapter 8. Metapragmatics and reflections in support of knowledge transfer and common ground in doctor-patient interaction 200
- Chapter 9. The pediatrician’s normalizing practice in well-child visits 227
-
Section 4. Expertise and common ground
- Chapter 10. Establishing common ground to achieve therapeutic goals 252
- Chapter 11. Whose common ground? 263
- Chapter 12. Peer experts as actors for shared understanding in Spanish online health fora 291
-
Section 5. Uncertainty and evasive answers
- Chapter 13. Uncertainty in healthcare 314
- Chapter 14. The pragmatics of diagnostic uncertainty 330
- Chapter 15. On indicating and dealing with uncertainty in healthcare dialogues 359
- Chapter 16. How uncertainty can be turned into shared understanding 373
- Index 395
