Abstract:
The study focused on Outpatient department of Gondar university teaching hospital, which is found in
Gondar city. The main objective of this study is analyzing the discourse of doctor-patient interaction.
Specifically, the study shows the actual interactional features in the doctor-patient interactions, the
manifestations of power relations through language use, as well as the ideological assumptions which
are held by doctors and patients. The qualitative data methods were used during data collection and
analysis ,which was found from the interactions and field notes are useful to achieve these objectives.
Purposeful sampling was used to select the OPD department where the study conducted. Data were
gathered through audio-recording and field notes. The audio recordings last approximately eight to
eleven minutes from each of the five analyzed medical interaction. Before analysis, the audio
recordings were transcribed and then translated. The translated data were analyzed thoroughly using
Fairclough’s (1992) three dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis. From the analysis, it
was found out that the doctors are the dominant interlocutors in the interactions with patients. This
dominance was seen in terms of different interactional control features that the doctors have
employed. Thus, doctors’ institutional power is manifested in the way that they dominated the medical
consultation in terms of turn allocation and repeated interruptions, initiating every exchange by
asking questions, and controlling the topic and setting the agenda of the interaction. The patients, on
the other hand, were mainly involved in reporting their symptoms, answering questions, and
accepting doctors’ commands and/or requests. Thus, it was found out that the patients were the
passive interlocutors. Additionally, a critical analysis of ideological assumptions doctors indicated
that the doctors perceived themselves as the powerful interlocutors. The findings also showed that the
patients saw themselves as the less powerful participants. Such was reflected through their
submission to doctors’ authority, and by employing indirect and politeness strategies whenever they
have to impose upon the doctors. The study, thus, concluded that interpersonal relationships between
discourse interactants could be an indicative of their social and power relations. The study also
recommended that a similar study focusing on other departments of the hospital can help to make
generalization as to how institutional discourse, specially, that of doctor-patient, could be a place for
power struggle.
