Reducing asymmetry in doctor-patient interaction: patients' initiatives in specialised clinical encounters (original) (raw)

This paper examines the initiatives taken by patients during specialized medical encounters in an Italian prosthetics center, highlighting how verbal and gestural resources are employed by patients to assert themselves in doctor-patient interactions. It challenges the conventional view of passive patient communication by demonstrating how patients negotiate conversational turns to reduce the inherent asymmetry in these interactions. The study focuses on multi-modal communication patterns, particularly during the history-taking phase, emphasizing the significance of patients’ actions in altering the dynamics of communication with healthcare professionals.