title: From a medical consultation to a written text. 2. Pragmatics and textlinguistics applied to medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present linguistic and pragmatic theory applied to a consultation in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Reflect upon what happens during a referred consultation, illustrating key pragmatic concepts. Apply these concepts to the medical outcome of GP consultations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spoken language is the most important tool in general practice. Speech-act theory, pragmatics, and textlinguistics may help us to grasp the process of doctor-patient interaction, and hence some essential aspects of the dynamics of clinical work.
authors.affiliation: Allmennmedisinsk Forskning Ryfylke, Hjelmeland, Norway.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nessa
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D010684:Philosophy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012660:Semantics