Uncovering Linguistic Strategies in Kuwaiti Doctor’s Patient-Directed Communication
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1411.02Keywords:
doctor-patient interactions, communication strategies, Kuwaiti Arabic, linguistic practices, Discourse Completion TestAbstract
The current study explores linguistic strategies used by Kuwaiti Doctors in their interactions with patients. By examining the language used in standard doctor-patient interactions, it provides preliminary insights into the communication practices of Kuwaiti healthcare professionals. Due to practical and ethical considerations, twenty-six family doctors participated in a Discourse Completion Task featuring six different scenarios to identify preferred linguistic strategies. The findings reveal a tendency towards indirect requests and questions indicating obligation or possibility when advising patients. Doctors frequently offered help using inclusive first-person plural 'we' inflections, especially with apprehensive patients. In supportive contexts, multiple communicative functions were often utilized simultaneously. These insights are valuable for linguists and healthcare providers, contributing to cross-cultural and inter-language communication research. The findings also inform subsequent investigations into patient preferences, enriching the understanding of effective communication in healthcare settings in Kuwait.
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