Stories we hear and stories we tell: analysing talk in clinical practice

Conventional studies of the doctor-patient consultation tend to focus on structure rather than content and are therefore relatively superficial. The different interactional perspectives within the clinical encounter can be exposed using techniques of microanalysis that take account of text, tone, pauses, interruptions, and non-verbal communication. Through the detailed study of discourse in context, clinicians might learn to listen more constructively to their patients' stories.