Conversational Implicatures in Medical Discourse: An Analysis of Doctor-Patient Dialogues in Amman, Jordan

Abstract

Effective communication is crucial in medical practice, and adherence to Grice's conversational maxims (quantity, quality, relevance, and manner) can improve communication between doctors and patients. In medical practice, doctors must provide clear and concise information while being honest about medical conditions and treatment options. It is also essential for doctors to communicate using simple language to ensure that the patients understand. This study analyses conversational implicature considering medical discourse in Amman. Twenty-six observations (tape-recorded doctor-patient dialogues) were randomly selected from private and government clinics in Amman, Jordan. The data was sorted and analyzed using the qualitative method of a six-phase framework. This study identifies the cooperative principles, their functions, and conversational implicature in doctor-patient discourse. Our results indicate the significance of all four conversational maxims in medical discourse, with manner being the most prominent aspect, followed by quality, relevance, and quantity. The function of cooperative principles observed in presenting the concepts of expression, direction, assertion, and declaration enhances the quality of medical discourse and promotes clarification in conversation. We observed that non-cooperative conversational implicatures are more frequently used in the doctor-patient dialogue, flouting Grice’s maxims. This flaw could lead to ineffective communication and negative health outcomes. In medical discourse, 66.7% of instances violated the Grice maxim, indicating non-cooperative conversation, while 33.3% involved cooperative implicature. The effective observance of the conversational maxims can positively impact doctors' communication with patients and promote better understanding of medical condition and treatment options that may lead to improved health outcomes.