Le défi de l'adhésion thérapeutique : place, rôle et effets des silences

Résumé En

Communication competence is now seen as an essential competence of health professionals. This competence is not limited to "referential" aspects, such as being able to obtain and transmit relevant information from and to the patient. Another aspect of communication competence is the one related to the "conative" function of language: producing an effect on the interlocutor. In the medical context, the intended effect is primarily the patient's therapeutic adherence. Given the resistance that patients sometimes show, obtaining therapeutic adherence is a challenge. The analysis of an interview between a neurologist and a patient allowed us to observe that the use of silence, combined with other verbal and paraverbal means of focusing, may constitute an effective "conative tool".