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Part of
A Pragmatic Agenda for Healthcare: Fostering inclusion and active participation through shared understanding
Edited by Sarah Bigi and Maria Grazia Rossi
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 338] 2023
► pp. 373–394

Chapter 16
How uncertainty can be turned into shared understanding

Evidence from online medical consultations in Taiwan

| National Sun Yat-sen University
| Curtin University

This chapter investigates how uncertainty is communicated in highly-rated medical answers. Particular attention is paid to the discourse elements that may render the use of vague language to be more positively than negatively received during the delivery of helpful answers to health information seekers in online medical consultations (OMCs). We argue that uncertainty does not equate to an evasive answer; instead, uncertainty can be turned into shared understanding with the use of effective strategies. Data in Chinese were collected from a government-funded website based in Taiwan. The findings suggest that vague language can facilitate the successful delivery of health information when it is used in conjunction with higher-order stretching of a medical reply, aimed at offering a patient-centered medical answer.

Keywords: higher-order stretching, medical discourse, online medical consultation, shared understanding, uncertainty, vague language
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Literature review
    • 2.1Uncertainty
    • 2.2Uncertainty in health communication
    • 2.3Higher-order stretching as a notion to uncertainty management
  • 3.Methodology
    • 3.1Data and data collection rationales
    • 3.2Participants
    • 3.3The data analysis
  • 4.Analysis and discussion
    • 4.1The failure of lowly-rated cases: patients’ uncertainty untackled
      • 4.1.1Evasive answers
      • 4.1.2Answers that are not relevant enough
      • 4.1.3Answers that lack emotional support
    • 4.2The success of highly-rated cases: From uncertainty to shared understanding
      • 4.2.1Cognitive and emotive answers
      • 4.2.2Relevant and specific answers
      • 4.2.3Pragmatic answers
      • 4.2.4Socially appropriate answers
    • 4.3Discussion
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 17 November 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.338.16tse
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