Language and connectedness in the medical and psychiatric interview.
OBJECTIVE
To present and develop "connectedness" as a linguistically based concept for research and teaching of the medical and psychiatric interview; and to illustrate how this concept may be operationalized for systematic study and use.


METHODS
We describe the concept and its theoretical background, illustrate it with examples, and describe a basic rating scale for connectedness that can be used for research and teaching purposes.


RESULTS
Connectedness is grounded in established concepts from the linguistic field of discourse analysis and is applicable to the study and teaching of medical and psychiatric interviews.


CONCLUSIONS
Connectedness is worthy of further study to enhance our understanding and our teaching of the interview.


CONCLUSIONS
Connectedness is a concept directly applicable to teaching and practice.
Ness
David E
DE
Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. nessde@upmc.edu
Kiesling
Scott F
SF
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003463:Cues; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods; D004645:Empathy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological / Q000379:methods*; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D007697:Kinesics; D008487:Medical History Taking / Q000379:methods*; D033262:Narration; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D010819:Physician's Role / Q000523:psychology; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011578:Psycholinguistics; D012660:Semantics; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology; D014705:Verbal Behavior