Medicinal relationships: caring conversation

摘要: Context  Good social relationships are crucial to well-being and health in particular. The perception of having supportive has effects on reducing morbidity mortality comparable with those a good diet, regular exercise cessation moderate smoking. This suggests that supportive, trusting doctors could have substantial direct biomedical effect patients’ health. Methods  A critical review the patient–doctor relationship (PDR) literature is presented, along relevant interactional studies examine doctor–patient interactions from perspective conversation analysis (CA). shows how patients respond doctors’ verbal non-verbal behaviours systematic ways affect they disclose relate doctors. Results  Findings CA suggest clinicians might consider several important features improve PDR perhaps also patient outcomes: (i) use open-ended questions (e.g. ‘What brought you today?’) positive polarity items ‘Is there something else wanted talk about elicits concerns addresses unmet more effectively than closed negative items, respectively; (ii) eye gaze availability an attending recipient, indicate doctor attentiveness at parts their problem presentation important, (iii) dysfluencies one practice speakers employ gain attention non-attending recipient. Doctors may want pay better understand when valued. Conclusions  Constructing often does not require great investment time, but it commitment ‘being for patients’. attune language practices during medical consultations, develop substantially be intrinsically rewarding both patients.