Problem presentation in Iranian secondary care consultations : a conversation analytic study of doctor-patient interactions

Title data

Izadi, Ahmad:
Problem presentation in Iranian secondary care consultations : a conversation analytic study of doctor-patient interactions.
In: SSM - Qualitative Research in Health. Vol. 9 (2026) . - 100747.
ISSN 2667-3215
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100747

Project information

Abstract in another language

Problem presentation plays a vital role in healthcare communication by facilitating treatment and providing interactional opportunities for patients to maximize their participation, thereby leading to patient satisfaction and positive outcomes from the patient's perspective. Drawing on insights from secondary care consultations in Iran and using conversation analysis as the method and approach, this study demonstrates how doctors and patients interactionally achieve this socio-medical activity during doctor-patient interactions. The data consist of 40 audio-recorded and transcribed consultation visits following CA transcription conventions. The study offers detailed analyses of selected excerpts of data to show how talk unfolds and how diagnostic test results shape the verbal presentation of problems. It also provides implications for cross-cultural understanding of doctor-patient interactions.