Psychology

Voices of curing and caring: The role of vagueness and ambiguity in informed consent discussions

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Explores the role of vagueness and ambiguity in doctor–patient communications about informed consent. A fine-grained analysis of 2 discourse segments between 2 physicians and an incapacitated patient in an intensive care unit reveals that vagueness and ambiguity index the conflict of 2 communicative orientations (voices): caring and curing. It is argued that this conflict of voices between rational considerations in the context of institutional demands and a general caring for the patient in his/her life-world reflects the general conflict in informed consent negotiations between the patient's autonomy as an abstract value, as prescribed by the law, and a concrete caring for the whole person in a particular situation.

Publication Title

Family Systems Medicine

Publication Date

1-1-1991

Volume

9

Issue

4

First Page

329

Last Page

342

ISSN

0736-1718

DOI

10.1037/h0089259

Keywords

informed consent, therapeutic processes

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