Communication and Medical Practice: Social Relations in the Clinic - Hardcover

'a particularly refreshing book.... a fascinating glimpse of the relationship between professionals in the medical world and their clients.' - Behaviour Research and Therapy

'I would recommend this book to all those engaged in the practice or study of encounters between patients and health professionals. It is thought-provoking and will fuel many lively debates covering ideology, policy, and clinical practice.' - British Journal of Medical Psychology

'All sections of the book provide valuable and original insights into the nature and structure of medical interactions.... should be of interest to scholars and students of medical communication. Its perspective on the form of medical discourse, and its critique of Foucault and Mischler are especially interesting and useful.' -- Patient Education and Counseling

'...well written and well referenced...the encounters documented and analysed can be extrapolated into many situations.' -- Nursing Standard February 1988

'...a painstaking investigation has been carried out by a sensitive and fair minded observer...the appendix gives a fascinating breakdown of the stages of a consultation and proceedings in the clinic.' -- British Medical Journal, Vol 296, April 1988

'......This is fascinating sociology. It goes beyond traditional theories.....' It develops theory while acknowledging practicalities. Research methods and problems are carefully discussed. This is a clearly organised text with index and references.' Nursing Times Sept 14-20 1988

The author provides a comprehensively researched and well documented account of the subject, analysing material from the United Kingdom and elswhere. A model of research technique, the book will be of interest to psychologists and sociologists, doctors and patients and to all with a concern for interpersonal communications.' -- Journal of the Institute of Health Education

`prehaps the most substantial and impressive British study yet published in this genre.... a finely crafted, and eleganted presented analysis' - International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

`a particularly refreshing book.... a fascinating glimpse of the relationship between professionals in the medical world an their clients' - Behaviour Research and Therapy

`the book has much to offer. Sociologists unfamiliar with sociolinguistics will find an accessible introduction that shows how discourse analysis can contribute to an understanding of the operation of power. Sociolinguistics will appreciate the validation it gives their claim that discourse analysis reveals the substance of social life. Medical sociologists will find sophisticated insights into doctor-patient interaction and professional dominance' - Contemporary Sociology

`The analytic style in handling the data makes this work fascinating....this work is an important contribution to understanding patient-physician interactions. The emphasis on social forms and the deft dismantling of ideological arguments about the nature of medical practice are outstanding contributions.' -Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease

Among the key themes of the book are: the way in which doctor-patient talk varies according to the trajectory of the patient's medical career and the method of payment for treatment; the implicit problems in paediatric medicine in negotiating between the rights and responsibilities of children and their parents; and the difficulties intrinsic to reformist medical practice and patient-centred medicine