Achieving patient weighing in UK primary care. A conversation analytic study

Bibliographic Data

ID21258166
AuthorsJamie Ross (0000-0001-8720-5911, Queen Mary University of London, corresponding author), Shoba Poduval (0000-0002-3049-123X, Roland Hill (United Kingdom)), Charlotte Albury (0000-0002-1036-6626, University of Oxford), Annie Lau (0000-0002-7190-5515, Macquarie University), Niccy Whitaker, Fiona Stevenson, Fiona A Stevenson (0000-0003-2139-2309, Roland Hill (United Kingdom))
Year2024
Volume5
Pages100384
Publication date2024-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSSM - Qualitative Research in Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2667-3215 • E-ISSN: 2667-3215
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100384
OpenAlexW4389762545
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited44

Addressing issues of weight with people with type 2 diabetes is increasingly becoming part of the workload of primary care. This includes taking weight measurements during consultations. Evidence suggests that weighing is experienced as difficult for health professionals and patients. This study explores how weighing is accomplished and identifies strategies and practices that can be used in primary care settings. Data are drawn from two large UK based archives of over 600 audio and video recorded primary care consultations. Conversation analysis was used to systematically inspect the consultation data. We identified the linguistic practices employed by GPs and resulting interactions around the measurement of weight in primary care. Seven consultations form this corpus. We identify the sequential interactional pattern through which GPs and patients engage to achieve weighing and identify delicacy features in GPs talk which are used to build alignment with patients to achieve weighing. The analysis also highlighted the ways in which GPs justify their need to weigh patients, including marking the measurement as clinically necessary and preferring a need for an objective measure of weight. The analyses highlight that patient responses to requests to weigh are varied and that weighing patients can necessitate considerable interactional effort. Achieving weighing of patients in primary care consultations requires considerable interactional work between GPs and patients and it is important for the delicacy of these requests to be appreciated. There is a need for greater attention to how to achieve weighing, given the increasing attention weight has in relation to health

Conversation · Family medicine · Physics · Primary care · Communication · Hospital Admissions and Outcomes · Medicine · Obesity and Health Practices · Psychology

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