Plastina2014

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Plastina2014
BibType INCOLLECTION
Key Plastina2014
Author(s) Anna Franca Plastina, Fabrizia Del Vecchio
Title Diagnostic news delivery: A microanalysis of the use of shields
Editor(s) Andrzej Zuczkowski, Ramona Bongelli, Ilaria Riccioni, Carla Canestrari
Tag(s) Medical EMCA, Applied, Sequences
Publisher John Benjamins
Year 2014
Language English
City Amsterdam / Philadelphia
Month
Journal
Volume
Number
Pages 183–200
URL Link
DOI 10.1075/ds.25.09pla
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title Communicating Certainty and Uncertainty in Medical, Supportive and Scientific Contexts
Chapter 9

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Abstract

This paper focuses on the issue of diagnostic news delivery by addressing the research questions of how doctors shield language when breaking bad news to patients and how shields are positioned within the sequential order of these interactions. Empirical research was conducted on a collected corpus of authentic interactions through microanalysis of their epistemic organisation. Findings showed that when doctors were uncomfortable in giving bad news they mainly used verbs and verb phrases to shield the seriousness of the news. Different categories of shields were also used according to varying levels of distress. Following the biomedical SPIKES Protocol, different degrees of certainty were found in the step of Knowledge, whereas mitigating devices occurred in the steps of Empathy and Strategy.

Notes