Discursive positioning in practitioner-parent-child communication in traditional Chinese medicine consultations

This study examines practitioner-parent-child communication in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consultations. Employing the theoretical framework of positioning theory, this discourse study investigates the interactions among Chinese medicine practitioners, parents, and child patients. The data, recordings of 21 pediatric consultation sessions, were gathered from the Department of Chinese Medicine at a hospital in China. The findings reveal that parents position themselves as representatives of their child patients, who, conversely, play a passive role with limited participation in consultations. This phenomenon is consistent with previous studies on doctor-parent-patient communication in Western medicine settings. As caretakers, parents also position themselves as experts in their child’s health, articulating the child’s health conditions and demonstrating some familiarity with TCM. Emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes for the child’s health and recovery, practitioners strategically position themselves as both medical professionals and parenting advisors and give direct advice to parents. This study argues that the positioning of parents may diminish child patients’ participation. The study enhances our understanding of doctor-parent-child communication in the context of TCM by elucidating the positioning of the participants. It concludes by discussing the significance of child patients’ engagement and the implementation of a patient-centered approach in TCM consultations. Copyright © 2024 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.