ABSTRACT
The tradition of medical paternalism has existed for centuries across many cultures. It emphasizes the dominant role of the physician in providing authoritative advice. From a communication perspective, physicians have tended to be socialized into a "high control" style of interaction in which they talk a greater amount of time, ask more questions, give more directives, and interrupt more frequently than do patients. The importance of mutually exchanged information has been recognized as an essential component of health care partnerships. Focusing on communicative behaviors, health communication scholar Richard L. Street, Jr. identified several verbal features of active patient participation during medical consultations. Numerous studies provide evidence of the beneficial outcomes of patient activity. Several investigations have documented that simply coaching patients to ask questions of their health providers can result in increased satisfaction and adherence by the patient to providers' recommendations.
