The Nature and Language of Illness Explanations Teresa L.Thompson, University of Dayton

An important part of medical interaction includes the provision of explanations from care providers to patients. The central function of all medical systems is to give meaning to illness by naming and defining its cause (Stoeckle & Barsky, 1980). The official medical profession has long advocated full information to patients (Ernstene, 1957; Hayward, 1975), although physicians’ behaviors have not always reflected this guideline (Fitts & Ravdin, 1953; Oken, 1961; Rennick, 1960). Lack of explanations from care providers may cause patients to turn instead to “medical hucksters” (Simoni & Ball, 1975). Explanations should focus on describing the medical problem, its etiology, and its effects as well as providing information about procedures, tests, and medications. The goal of this chapter is to illuminate the nature of these explanations and to discuss the language through which they are communicated.