Verbal exchanges in medical interviews: Implications and innovations

Samuel M. Putnam and William B. Stiles

Social Science & Medicine, 1993, vol. 36, issue 12, 1597-1604

Abstract: Medical interviews (consultations) are composed of verbal exchanges, complementary categories of speech by patients and clinicians that tend to occur together. Patients and clinicians employ a joint repertoire of exchanges to accomplish their goals in the encounter. The seven principal exchanges are called Exposition, Closed Question, Checking, Direction, Inquiry, Explanation, and Instruction/ Contracts. We discuss how the verbal exchange structure contributes to understanding the confluence of patients' and clinicians' goals and expectations, clinicians' hypothetico-deductive method of reasoning during interviews, and establishing the patient-clinician relationship. We conclude by considering new exchanges that might make medical interviewing more effective and humane.

Keywords: medical; interview; medical; consultation; verbal; interaction; patient-clinician; relationship (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1993
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