ABSTRACT
Medical discourse is broadly defined as language behavior transpiring in a healthcare setting or as medical language in written form. As a type of institutional discourse, it is necessarily interdisciplinary, comprising work in sociolinguistics, communication studies, applied linguistics, and healthcare interpreting. This chapter provides an overview of studies at the intersection of pragmatics and medical discourse in Spanish. Although research is extensive for English, pragmatic research on medical Spanish has emerged more recently. The chapter first examines three overarching themes: interlocutor roles in consultations; communication strategies, such as rapport management; and more specific devices such as mitigation and turn-taking. Next, it explores particular genres including therapeutic discourse. Finally, applications are identified for interpreter training and medical Spanish education as well as future avenues of research.
