Principle agendas of doctors and patients in general practice consultations

Seventy-three general practice interviews were analysed according to the method described by Butler et al. Results for the three principal agenda types (physical, emotional and social) are presented in terms of the control exerted by either doctor or patient in determining the content of the interview. Both doctor and patient address physical agendas to a similar high degree. In contrast, patients present emotional agendas to a far greater extent than doctors address these concerns. The findings for social agendas are intermediate between those for physical and those for emotional agendas. It is argued that doctors can facilitate the expression of emotional and social agendas by giving explicit or implicit permission for their presence in the interview.