Skip to main content

Table 2 ARCS communication codes.

From: Frequency of GP communication addressing the patient's resources and coping strategies in medical interviews: a video-based observational study

Name

Description

Examples

Resources

When the GP comments on what he/she might consider a positive asset or situational aspect of the patient's health status.

Well, it is nice to have your grandchildren around!

That must be nice, don't you agree?

Coping

Questions or comments regarding how the patient has managed to cope, not to give up, or not to break down completely.

How do you manage all this pain?

What kind of resources do you have that help you withstand the pain?

Attribution

Questions or comments discussing what the patient thinks about their own situation to uncover other, more helpful thoughts and interpretations.

Yeah, that's interesting. From where did you get that idea?

Are there other possible ways of explaining your experience?

Solution-focused techniques

Intervention to place the patient's health status on a scale from zero to 10, where zero is as troublesome as it has ever been, and 10 is as good as it gets.

On a scale from zero to 10, where zero is as troublesome as it has ever been, and 10 is as good as it gets, where would you say you are, right now?

 

Questions and comments to explore exceptions to the pressure of the symptom, where the symptoms are less or even gone.

Are there any circumstances under which the lower-back pain is less or even gone?

 

The GP addresses issues from the consultation, by using the patient's own phrases, to summarize, focus the consultation, or decide the next step

So, let's see... you have managed to find a way to decrease your lower back pains and you have even discovered some distracting behaviour so you sort of forget the pain. Is that right?

 

The GP alone or in discussion with the patient defines homework prior to the next session.

Are there any issues you would like to explore a bit more until we meet next Friday?