Doctor–patient consultations in dyadic and triadic exchanges

Abstract

This article presents the results of a study on doctor–patient interaction in dyadic and triadic exchanges. The analysis is based on transcripts of recordings done at healthcare centres in northern Madrid, Spain, and Minneapolis, USA. The methodological approach is that of institutional discourse analysis as developed by Drew and Heritage (Drew & Heritage 1992; Heritage 1995, 1997; Drew & Sorjonen 1997). Three different types of doctor–patient interaction are examined: (1) doctor/foreign-language patient; (2) doctor/ foreign-language patient/ad hoc interpreter; (3) doctor/ foreign-language patient/trained interpreter. Topics such as the assignment of participant roles, changes in the general structure, turn-taking, and asymmetrical relationships will be explored. The study is mainly descriptive and qualitative, but also includes some comparative quantitative analyses.

Methodology in interpreting studies

“…Some give equal attention to all participants' behaviors in triadic interactions. For example, Valero-Garcés (2005) examined interactions between doctors and foreign-language patients, among doctors, foreign-language patients and untrained interpreters, and between foreign-language patients and untrained interpreters. A rare case is Christensen (2008), which investigated shifts in the discourse of judges.…”

“…The interpreter's role is predominantly discussed in the context of community interpreting, including court interpreting (e.g., Christensen 2008;Jacobsen 2008;Lipkin 2008), healthcare interpreting (e.g., Dubslaff and Martinsen 2005;Merlin and Favaron 2005;Valero-Garcés 2005) and interpreting in other community settings such as asylum interpreting (e.g., Pöllabauer 2004). The only exception is Chang and Wu (2009) in which the role of conference interpreters is investigated.…”

“…Jacobsen 2008described the rights granted to and requirements imposed on different participants by the Danish court, which was important to the theme of the study, i.e., power and face-work. Valero-Garcés (2005) chose to put the information about the settings and participants, including their language profiles and health issues, in a list. Merlini and Favaron (2005) presented a brief description of their cases, three speech pathology sessions, in a table.…”

“…• healthcare interpreting • role of interpreter Valero-Garcés (2005) case study (discourse analysis)…”

The quotative ‘he/she says’ in interpreted doctor–patient interaction

“…She had not been professionally trained as an interpreter but, having taken several courses in community interpreting, could be regarded as a semi-professional interpreter. Also when looking at the data and comparing these with the descriptions of ad hoc versus professional interpreters in healthcare settings, as presented by Valero Garcés (2005), it is clear that notwithstanding her limited training this interpreter had gained considerable professional experience. This was particularly evident in her lexical choices, her use of perspective and her use of direct one-to-one communication.…”