Webb-vomLehn-Heath-Gibson-Evans2013
| Webb-vomLehn-Heath-Gibson-Evans2013 | |
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| BibType | ARTICLE |
| Key | Webb-vomLehn-Heath-Gibson-Evans2013 |
| Author(s) | Helena Webb, Dirk vom Lehn, Christian Heath, Will Gibson, Bruce J. W. Evans |
| Title | The problem with “problems”: The case of openings in optometry consultations |
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| Tag(s) | EMCA, Opening sequences, Optometry, Medical consultations |
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| Year | 2013 |
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| Journal | Research on Language and Social Interaction |
| Volume | 46 |
| Number | 1 |
| Pages | 65–83 |
| URL | Link |
| DOI | 10.1080/08351813.2012.753724 |
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Abstract
This article contributes to conversation analytic understanding of openings in health-care consultations. It focuses on the case of optometry: a form of health-care practice in which an optometrist conducts checks of a patient's vision and eye health. Patients are advised to attend regularly for routine assessments and can also request a specific appointment at any time. Analysis of a corpus of 66 consultations shows what happens when the optometrist's opening question solicits the client's “problems” with their eyes. We find three types of patient response. Patients who have requested a specific appointment (most often) report a problem with their eyes and establish a problem-purpose encounter. Patients attending for a routinely timed appointment either report no problems and establish a routine-assessment purpose, or if they do have a problem, they delay reporting it or downplay it. We track through what happens subsequently. The findings have practical implications for diagnosis and treatment.
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