title: A communication-theory based view on telemedical communication.
abstract: Communication theory based analysis sheds new light on the use of health telematics. This analysis of structures in electronic medical communication shows communicative structures with special features. Current and evolving telemedical applications are analyzed. The methodology of communicational theory (focusing on linguistic pragmatics) is used to compare it with its conventional counterpart. The semiotic model, the roles of partners, the respective message and their relation are discussed. Channels, sender, addressee, and other structural roles are analyzed for different types of electronic medical communication. The communicative processes are shown as mutual, rational action towards a common goal. The types of communication/texts are analyzed in general. Furthermore the basic communicative structures of medical education via internet are presented with their special features. The analysis shows that electronic medical communication has special features compared to everyday communication: A third participant role often is involved: the patient. Messages often are addressed to an unspecified partner or to an unspecified partner within a group. Addressing in this case is (at least partially) role-based. Communication and message often directly (rather than indirectly) influence actions of the participants. Communication often is heavily regulated including legal implications like liability, and more. The conclusion from the analysis is that the development of telemedical applications so far did not sufficiently take communicative structures into consideration. Based on these results recommendations for future developments of telemedical applications/services are given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma Surgery, University of Regensburg, Franz-Josef-Strauss Allee 11, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. thomas.schall@klinik.uni-regensburg.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schall
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Roeckelein
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kampshoff
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nerlich
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D017216:Telemedicine