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Conflict Among Providers, Patients, and Families

Roter and Hall (2006) purported that “talk is the fundamental instrument by which the doctor-patient relationship is crafted and by which therapeutic goals are achieved” (p. 4). When talk or, more broadly, communica­tion, is discussed within the provider-patient relational context, however, conceptualiza­tions and operationalizations of communica­tion can vary widely—from examinations of communication style of the provider or patient to information sharing and decision­making models.

Much of the research on provider-patient interaction and/or conflict is heavily contextualized, focusing on popu­lations with specific illnesses (e.g., conges­tive heart failure, diabetes, cancer), specific medical specialties (e.g., pediatric oncol­ogy), specific medical care locations (e.g., private offices, nursing homes), or specific demographic characteristics of patients (e.g., elderly women). While it is difficult to make broad generalizations about the per­vasiveness of interpersonal conflict between providers and their patients, the disparate studies identify common sources of conflict among providers and patients and providers and patients’ families.

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Source: Oetzel John, Ting-Toomey Stella. The SAGE Handbook of Conflict Communication: Integrating Theory, Research and Practice. SAGE Publications,2013. — 912 p.. 2013

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