DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS AND PATIENTS

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of different types of difficult conversations that occur between healthcare providers and patients, including discussions marked by sensitive disclosures, challenging health contexts, high-stakes decisions, and charged topics. A defining feature of difficult interactions is that they are characterized to some degree by dilemmas resulting from conflicting conversational goals (e.g., tell the truth while preserving hope, honor patient autonomy while facilitating the best possible health outcome). Overall, research on difficult conversations tends to focus on four main types of research questions or hypotheses: identifying barriers to difficult conversations, describing the content of difficult discussions, explicating the meaning and function of various features of difficult conversations, and predicting outcomes based on whether difficult conversations happened or on the quality of the conversation. Findings within each of these areas have different implications for strategies for engaging in difficult conversations, but collectively, the research suggests that communication that attends to multiple (and potentially conflicting) goals is more successful than communication that ignores relevant goals.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Routledge Handbook of Health Communication, Third Edition
Pages179-193
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9781000451375
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Taylor & Francis

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences

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