Health professionals' patterns of communication: cross-purpose or problem solving?

Problem-solving communication is characterized by a high quality and mutually acceptable solutions where facts and feelings are reported and feedback given without judgment and accusation. Problem solving is an ideal model in a helping relationship. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the interactions between parents of handicapped children and health professionals are conducive to problem solving. Clinical data were obtained during regularly scheduled appointments in the form of audiotaped interviews using 37 parent-allied health professional dyads and 37 parent-physician dyads. A 6-minute sample was selected from each interview tape, coded at 3-second intervals, transcribed into the class of communication behavior, and analyzed by professionally trained coders, using the Sequential Analysis of Verbal Interaction (SAVI). The major finding was that parents of handicapped children displayed different messages and verbal behaviors from physicians and allied health professionals. The communication for all three groups was not of a problem-solving pattern that could be described as interpersonal and goal oriented talk, but was of a cross-purpose pattern that may be described as noninterpersonal and non-goal oriented conversation. The conclusion was that efforts must be directed toward early practical training in interpersonal skills for allied health professionals and physicians.