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Publication

The co-construction of empathic communication in interpreter-mediated medical consultations. An exploratory study using video recorded interactions and Video Stimulated Recall interviews

Book - Dissertation

Background: Empathy is considered to be one of the fundamental components of good doctor-patient communication. However, evidence suggests that empathic communication might be compromised when doctors and patients do not share the same language and need to rely on interpreters. To date, curricula on clinical communication do not pay due attention to the expression of empathic communication in interpreter-mediated doctor-patient communication. On the other hand the management of empathy, as co-constructed by doctors and patients and as expressed during a medical consultation, has not received attention in the interpreter education. In order to train both groups of professionals on the co-construction and management of empathic communication, a training intervention is required. Research objectives: This PhD project forms part of a larger project (EmpathicCare4All) that aims to develop and evaluate a joint training intervention for medical and interpreting students on the expression and management of empathic communication in interpreter-mediated consultations. The purpose of this PhD project is to provide insights into the ways in which empathic communication is co-constructed and expressed in interaction, managed by the interpreter and perceived by doctors, patients and interpreters. Methods: We will take a mixed-methods approach: i) 15 video recorded authentic interpreter-mediated consultations will be coded according to the Empathic Communication Coding System (ECCS). ii) The coded instances of empathic communication will be analysed further by means of multimodal interactional analysis and by taking participants' verbal and non-verbal semiotic resources into account. iii) The coded and multilmodally analysed instances of interaction will be fed back to the participating doctors, patients and interpreters during Video Stimulated Recall interviews. This will allow us to verify our findings. Implications: The findings of this PhD project will complement the findings that will emerge from the EmpathicCare4All project. In this way, the findings of this PhD project will pave the way for the development and evaluation of a joint training intervention for medical and interpreting students on the expression and management of empathic communication in interpreter-mediated consultations.
Publication year:2021
Accessibility:Closed