Heritage2006d

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Heritage2006d
BibType ARTICLE
Key Heritage2006d
Author(s) John Heritage, Jeffrey D. Robinson
Title The structure of patients' presenting concerns: physicians' opening questions
Editor(s)
Tag(s) EMCA, Medical EMCA, Doctor-patient interaction, Opening Questions, Problem Presentation, Conversation Analysis
Publisher
Year 2006
Language
City
Month
Journal Health Communication
Volume 19
Number 2
Pages 89–102
URL Link
DOI 10.1207/s15327027hc1902_1
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

This article uses conversation analysis to develop a typology of questions that physicians use to solicit patients' problems and then tests question–format effects on patients' subsequent problem presentations. Data are videotapes of 302 primary-, acute-, and outpatient-care visits involving 77 physicians in 41 urban and rural clinics, as well as pre- and postvisit questionnaires. The most frequent question formats were general inquiries (62%; e.g., "What can I do for you today?") and requests for confirmation (27%; e.g., "I understand you're having some sinus problems today?"). Compared to confirmatory questions, general inquiries were associated with significantly longer problem presentations (p <. 0001) that included more discrete symptoms (p <. 0001). Physicians were more likely to use confirmatory questions in the urban setting (p =. 003).

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