Medical hermeneutics: where is the "text" we are interpreting?

Area of Science:

• Medical Humanities
• Clinical Communication
• Philosophy of Medicine

Background:

• Critiques Drew Leder's "textual explication" metaphor for clinical encounters.
• Highlights Leder's emphasis on interpretation and ordering principles in medical practice.
• Identifies a potential limitation in conceptualizing patients as static entities.

Discussion:

• The textual metaphor implies a discoverable "text" in clinical encounters.
• This can lead to a static view of patients, overlooking their dynamic nature.
• Clinical encounters are mutually produced and constantly shifting.

Key Insights:

• The metaphor of clinical work as textual explication may be inadequate.
• Mutuality and indeterminacy characterize clinical encounters, unlike traditional texts.
• A metaphor grounded in uncertainty may better capture clinical realities.

Outlook:

• Recommends exploring alternative metaphors for clinical interpretation.
• Suggests a metaphor based on uncertainty could be more accurate.
• Encourages a more dynamic understanding of the doctor-patient relationship.