Conflict-Generating Factors of Doctor-Patient Communication in Russian-Language Discursive Practices

The article studies the causes of conflict situations between a doctor and a patient in the communication, associated with the problems of using the language code and the compliance of communicative and ethical norms. The research focuses on conflict-generating factors caused by the violation of the patient’s right to information about the state of health, which include, in particular, the volume and details of such information, as well as the forms it was provided. Methods of verbalizing the information about the patient’s health are discussed, taking into account the requirements of accessibility and sensitivity. The author examines problematic situations caused by the «non-linguistic» nature of legal regulation in the field of doctor-patient communication. The aim of the study is to identify conflict-generating factors of communication in the medical field, which lead to a violation of not only ethical, but also legal norms of communication between doctors and patients. The empirical base was formed by questioning the patients. The study also used blogosphere, social media materials, and personal interviews with patients. The analysis of sociolinguistic data made it possible to identify 4 conflict-generating factors: 1) the availability of information; 2) volume (details) of information, 3) delicacy / indelicacy; 4) the quality of the doctor’s feedback for the patient. As a result of the study, conclusions were drawn that allow to linguistically interpret the communicative failure that arose in the process of communicating with the doctor. This gives reason to develop criteria for communicative violations that are potentially conflict ones and have legal effect