Joseph Gafaranga | PubMed Health

PubMed2004

The expression of aversion to medicines in general practice consultations.

Although the relevance of patients' views about medicines for their medicine taking behaviour is now well established, little is known about the ways in which these views are discussed in primary care consultations. In particular, many studies have demonstrated patients' aversion to medicines. This paper examines the form that aversion talk takes in the consultation and how doctors respond to patients' expression of aversion to medicines. It is based on a dataset of 35 case studies of general practice consultations in England. In interviews with researchers, aversion to medicines was expressed in 34 of the 35 cases. In consultations with doctors, aversion was expressed in 10 cases. The interactional dimension of aversion talk in consultations was analysed using Conversation Analysis, and two general patterns were identified. Aversion could be used as an interactional resource, or it could be a topic in its own right. If used as an interactional resource, no real discussion of patients' views of medicines took place. When aversion was a conversational topic in its own right, two situations were observed. Firstly, the doctor elicited patients' views directly. Secondly, patients initiated aversive talk using a range of indirect strategies to do so. Even when patients managed to express their aversion to medicines, doctors did not engage them in any real discussion of their views. A scheme of interpretation is suggested to explain these findings. In this scheme patients perceive medicines to be an extension of the doctor and to be beneficial. In this view it is right for doctors to prescribe medicines and for patients to take medicines. The results of this paper suggest that using aversion as an interactional resource might be the only safe way for patients to express their aversion without seeming to breach the social contract.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

"Fire away": the opening sequence in general practice consultations.

BACKGROUND: Proponents of recent models of the doctor-patient relationship, such as concordance and shared decision making, have emphasized mutuality rather than paternalism or consumerism. However, little attention has been paid so far to the ways in which this might actually be achieved. OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to establish whether there are any rules governing the opening sequence in general practice consultations, and to analyse the ways in which the observing or breaking of such rules contributes to the development of mutuality between patients and GPs. METHODS: The paper is based on a qualitative study of 62 patients consulting 20 GPs in 20 practices in the Midlands and Southeast of England. Consultations were audio recorded and transcribed; patients were interviewed before and after each consultation, and doctors were interviewed afterwards. Data were analysed using the sociological method of Conversation Analysis. The outcomes were participants' own understandings as demonstrated in their speech. RESULTS: A selection rule was identified whereby doctors choose between the questions "How are you?" and "What can I do for you?" to elicit patients' concerns. Deviations from this selection rule may be either repairable or strategic. Repairable deviance is based on misunderstanding between participants, and is resolved interactionally, usually by patients. Strategic deviance is the attempt by doctors to emphasize or de-emphasize certain aspects of their relationships with particular patients. Deviations from the rule which are not repaired lead to misalignment between participants. CONCLUSION: In relation to concordance, or shared decision making more generally, this analysis demonstrates that alignment or misalignment between participants will occur before any discussion about treatment options occurs. In cases of misalignment, concordance will be much harder to achieve. Mutuality is an achievement of both patients and doctors, and requires the active participation of patients.

Communication↗