Health Commun.  2022 Jun;17(1):63-70. 10.15715/kjhcom.2022.17.1.63.

Doctor-Patient Relationship Management in Diagnosis Communication

• Kim M

• KMID: 2536287
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15715/kjhcom.2022.17.1.63

Abstract

Purpose
: How a doctor communicates with a patient is very critical not only to the delivery of an accurate information but also to the relationship management between them. This study aims at investigating doctors’ relationship management strategies to develop rapport in diagnosis communication with their patients by analyzing dialogues collected from currently aired Korean drama and previous studies.
Methods
: By using Brown & Levinson’s politeness and Spensor-Oatey’s rapport management as theoretical frameworks, it categorized doctors’ relationship management strategies suggested by Korean medical education and analyzed rapport management components utilized in the strategies. It also investigated the components and the domains affecting rapport between doctors and patients in the collected dialogues.
Results
: Relationship management strategies recommended to doctors in Korean medical education were related with all of Spensor-Oatey’s rapport management components: face, interactional goals and social rights/obligations management. In the dialogues collected from the drama, face management and stylistic domains were utilized more frequently to enhance the relationship compared to those from actual situation and simulation.
Conclusion
: Considering diagnosis communication is a face-threatening act to a patient, a doctor needs to utilize various relationship management strategies carefully and effectively. These results will help doctors to review their dialogues with patients and to improve their relationship with patients.

Keyword

diagnosis communication; face; rapport; relationship management