Table 1 General RIAS communication codes.
Name | Description | Example | Corresponding RIAS codes |
|---|---|---|---|
Social talk | All aspects of social conversation, personal remarks, laughter, and compliments, not related to the patient's health status. | So, you managed to get here in time despite the heavy snow this morning – exhausting, eh? | Personal remarks, social conversation Laughs, tells jokes |
Biomedical questions | All questions regarding symptoms, illness, or biomedical treatment. | How is your lower back pain? | Asks questions (open or closed ended) - medical condition - therapeutic regimen |
Biomedical information | Facts and figures, advice, opinions and suggestions regarding the patient's biomedical health status. | You need to take these pills to relax your tense muscles | Gives information/counsels - medical condition - therapeutic regimen |
Questions about lifestyle and psychosocial issues | All questions regarding psychological, lifestyle, social or other non-biomedical issues. | Any progress on your weight-loss programme so far? | Asks questions (open or closed ended) - lifestyle - psychosocial - other |
Information about lifestyle and psychosocial issues | Facts and figures, advice, opinions and suggestions regarding psychological, lifestyle, social, or other non-biomedical issues. | You see, the strain on your lower back gets more intense the more you gain weight. | Gives information/counsels - lifestyle - psychosocial - other |
Gives orientation | All sorts of instructions or direction of patient actions during the examination. | Please take off your shirt so I can take a look. | Gives orientation Transition words |
Facilitation | Process-oriented utterances, more than two words, or comments or questions to facilitate the interview or check on understanding. | All right, I see... | Shows agreement Backchannel responses Paraphrases, checks for understanding Bid for repetition Asks for understanding Asks for opinion |
Empathy | An emotionally laden supportive utterance or comment to confirm the patient's speech. | Oh yeah, that must be really painful | Empathy Reassurance, optimism Legitimizes Partnership Shows approval |
Shows disapproval | Comments of criticism, anger or hostility. | You must stop smoking! | Shows disapproval Shows criticism |
Residual, Unintelligible | Phone calls during the consultation or other irrelevant utterances. Coder not able to understand the GP's speech. | Â | Â |