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Screen Door Medicine: The Informal Medical Consultation, Debra Faith Nickell

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores the phenomenon of the informal medical consultation, a communication event in which an individual asks for medical information, advice, or care from an off-duty health professional with whom the individual has no formal patient-provider relationship. Using surveys and interviews, the study describes these consultations from the perspective of the health care professional and the informal patient. The study explores foundational theories that offer explanations for the phenomenon. The theories considered include social support, decision-making, social exchange, perceived partner responsiveness to needs, and uncertainty management.

This study suggests health care providers perceive informal medical consultations to be more …