Micro-analysis
EVENTS, STILL
The micro-analysis was based on the methodology proposed by Slade et al., who stated that communication has both interpersonal and experiential dimensions [the move and speech function analysis provide a perspective on interpersonal patterns in the discourse, showing how the consultation develops in terms of the speech roles taken up by doctor and patient. The lexical analysis provides an experiential perspective on the discourse, showing how medically related information unfolds during the course of the consultation.Interpersonal dimension: Moves in an exchange (adapted from Slade et al. [Interpersonal dimension: Tracking and challenging moves in an exchange (adapted from Slade et al. [Experiential dimension: Lexical network (adapted from Slade et al. [This two-part micro analytical framework was adopted for this study to thoroughly assess the communication of the TCM practitioners.In analysing the moves and speech functions, the emphasis was placed on the initiation of the TCM practitioners rather than the responses of the patients, as we wanted to explore in detail the communication skills demonstrated by the practitioners. To clarify the terminology, Slade et al. [An exchange consists of one or more moves, prototypically an initiating move and a responding one. A move is a unit of interaction where the speaker moves the dialogue forward by choosing a speech function such as a question or a statement, taking on a speech role and assigning a complementary role to the addressee, e.g. questioner — expected answerer. Two or more moves may function together in the development of the exchange that they are part of, forming a move complex; for example, a question may be preceded by a statement giving some background to the question.In terms of lexis, Slade et al. identified lexical items related to three major aspects of the field of discourse within the HEPC (History and Exploration of Presenting Condition) stage. These aspects are incident, history and symptoms: respectively, events related to the incident leading to the patient’s attendance at the consultation, medical conditions and medication relevant to the patient’s medical history, and descriptions of the patient’s medical symptoms. This study followed the coding method of Slade et al., who used the lexical network displayed in Fig. Still in relation to lexis, two kinds of shifts were introduced in the work of Slade et al. [For the qualitative analysis, the Calgary-Cambridge Guide – ‘a well-known approach to teaching and training clinical communication skills’ ([