Document Detail


Using linguistic analysis to explore medicine counter assistants' communication during consultations for nonprescription medicines.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16872792     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to undertake linguistic analysis of consultations between medicine counter assistants (MCAs) and customers for the supply of nonprescription medicines. METHODS: The linguistic corpus comprised 168 recorded and transcribed consultations. Utterances were tagged as information eliciting, information or advice giving and other. The analysis focused on triads, beginning and ending with an MCA utterance (MCA(1)-->customer's response-->MCA(2)). The use of the mnemonic, WWHAM (Who for, What symptoms, How long, Any medicine tried, other Medication taken) was also analysed. RESULTS: A total of 505 triads were identified. Of the 773 utterances, 61% were information eliciting, 13% were information giving, 14% were advice giving and 11% were "other" or unclassifiable. No consultation involved WWHAM in its entirety. CONCLUSION: MCAs do not appear to have been made sufficiently aware of the ways in which their exchanges with customers during consultations for nonprescription medicines are crucially different from natural conversation. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In order to help customers decide upon an appropriate nonprescription medicine, the MCA has the role of both informing and advising. Training should focus on informing and advising as distinct functions, and the potential problems caused by combining them.
Authors:
Mark Garner; Margaret C Watson
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2006-07-25
Journal Detail:
Title:  Patient education and counseling     Volume:  65     ISSN:  0738-3991     ISO Abbreviation:  Patient Educ Couns     Publication Date:  2007 Jan 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-12-04     Completed Date:  2007-02-23     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8406280     Medline TA:  Patient Educ Couns     Country:  Ireland    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  51-7     Citation Subset:  N    
Affiliation:
School of Language & Literature, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UB, Scotland, UK.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Communication*
Community Pharmacy Services
Counseling / education,  organization & administration
Data Interpretation, Statistical
Decision Making
Drug Interactions
Health Services Needs and Demand
Helping Behavior
Humans
Nonprescription Drugs / adverse effects,  therapeutic use*
Patient Education as Topic / organization & administration*
Patient Selection
Pharmacists' Aides / education,  organization & administration,  psychology*
Professional Role / psychology
Professional-Patient Relations*
Psycholinguistics
Referral and Consultation / organization & administration
Scotland
Tape Recording
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Nonprescription Drugs

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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