ABSTRACT
Conversation Analysis (CA) originated at the University of California during the 1960s, and it is now the dominant, contemporary, theoretical, and methodological framework for the analysis of social interaction (Heritage, 2009). CA represents a naturalistic and inductive approach to the study of generalizable patterns of interaction that are ultimately amenable to quantifi cation (Robinson, 2007). Although the term ‘conversation analysis’ refl ects the origins of CA in studies of everyday casual conversation, CA is widely used to study communication in health care settings. Within numerous health-related fi elds, the bulk of CA research focuses on communication between health care providers (e.g., physicians, psychotherapists, nurses) and their clients (e.g., patients). As such, this chapter reviews CA fi ndings relevant to provider-client interaction.
