Abstract
Although health matters are commonly discussed in various social contexts, health-related interpersonal communication still remains a black box in health communication research. Bringing together research from the fields of health communication and interpersonal communication, we therefore examine how people communicate about health and illness in their everyday lives. Based on Channel Complementary Theory and the concept of communication repertoires, we focus on a) the communication partners, b) the communication channels, and c) the communication patterns relevant to health-related interpersonal communication. We conducted a qualitative study with 22 semi-structured online interviews combined with ego-centered network maps. Findings show that a) what is discussed with whom depends on the intimacy of the relationship, topic sensitivity, and partners’ personal characteristics, b) face-to-face communication is the preferred way of communicating, and c) (a-)symmetry of roles, (in)formality, and intimacy of the relationship influence communication.
References
Ackerson, L. K., & Viswanath, K. (2009). The social context of interpersonal communication and health. Journal of Health Communication, 14 Suppl 1, 5–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/1081073090280683610.1080/10810730902806836Search in Google Scholar
Alden, D. L., Friend, J., Lee, P. Y., Lee, Y. K., Trevena, L., Ng, C. J., …, & Limpongsanurak, S. (2018). Who decides: Me or we? Family involvement in medical decision making in Eastern and Western countries. Medical Decision Making, 38(1), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X1771562810.1177/0272989X17715628Search in Google Scholar
Altissimo, A. (2016). Combining egocentric network maps and narratives: An applied analysis of qualitative network map interviews. Sociological Research Online, 21(2), 152–164. https://doi.org/10.5153/sro.384710.5153/sro.3847Search in Google Scholar
Baumann, E., Czerwinski, F., & Reifegerste, D. (2017). Gender-specific determinants and patterns of online health information seeking: Results from a representative German health survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 19(4), e92. https://doi.org/10.2196/jmir.666810.2196/jmir.6668Search in Google Scholar
Baym, N. K. (2015). Personal connections in the digital age (2nd edition). Polity.Search in Google Scholar
Cioni, E., Lovari, A., & Tronu, P. (2018). We-caring: Searching for online health information by Italian families. Health Communication, 33(1), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2016.124203710.1080/10410236.2016.1242037Search in Google Scholar
Cline, R. J. W. (2003). Everyday interpersonal communication and health. In Thompson, T. L., Dorsey, A. M., Miller, K. I., & Parrot, R. (Eds.), Handbook of health communication (pp. 285–313). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Search in Google Scholar
Duggan, A. (2006). Understanding interpersonal communication processes across health contexts: Advances in the last decade and challenges for the next decade. Journal of Health Communication, 11(1), 93–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/1081073050046112510.1080/10810730500461125Search in Google Scholar
Friemel, T. N. (2008). Anatomie von Kommunikationsrollen [Anatomy of communication roles]. KZfSS Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie, 60(3), 473–499. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11577-008-0024-710.1007/s11577-008-0024-7Search in Google Scholar
Hannawa, A. F., Kreps, G. L., Paek, H.-J., Schulz, P. J., Smith, S., & Street, R. L. jr. (2014). Emerging issues and future directions of the field of health communication. Health Communication, 29(10), 955–961. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2013.81495910.1080/10410236.2013.814959Search in Google Scholar
Hasebrink, U., & Hepp, A. (2017). How to research cross-media practices? Investigating media repertoires and media ensembles. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 23(4), 362–377. https://doi.org/10.1177/135485651770038410.1177/1354856517700384Search in Google Scholar
Hauke, D., Reiter-Theil, S., Hoster, E., Hiddemann, W., & Winkler, E. C. (2011). The role of relatives in decisions concerning life-prolonging treatment in patients with end-stage malignant disorders: Informants, advocates or surrogate decision-makers? Annals of Oncology, 22(12), 2667–2674. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdr01910.1093/annonc/mdr019Search in Google Scholar
Head, K. J., & Bute, J. J. (2018). The influence of everyday interpersonal communication on the medical encounter: An extension of Street’s Ecological Model. Health Communication, 33(6), 786–792. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.130647410.1080/10410236.2017.1306474Search in Google Scholar
Hepp, A. (2016). Qualitative Netzwerkanalyse in der Kommunikationswissenschaft [Qualitative network analysis in communication sciences]. In S. Averbeck-Lietz & M. Meyen (Eds.), Handbuch nicht standardisierte Methoden in der Kommunikationswissenschaft (pp. 347–367). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-01656-2_2210.1007/978-3-658-01656-2_22Search in Google Scholar
Herz, A., Peters, L., & Truschkat, I. (2015). How to do Qualitative Structural Analysis: The qualitative interpretation of network maps and narrative interviews. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 16(1).Search in Google Scholar
Höflich, J. R. (1996). Technisch vermittelte interpersonale Kommunikation: Grundlagen, organisatorische Medienverwendung, Konstitution “elektronischer Gemeinschaften” [Technically conveyed interpersonal communication: Basics, organisational media use, constitution of ‘electronic communities’]. Studien zur Kommunikationswissenschaft: Vol. 8. VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-99336-610.1007/978-3-322-99336-6Search in Google Scholar
Hollstein, B., & Pfeffer, J. (2010). Netzwerkkarten als Instrument zur Erhebung egozentrierter Netzwerke [Network cards as instrument for the analysis of egocentric networks]. H.-G. Soeffner (Ed.), Unsichere Zeiten. Herausforderungen gesellschaftlicher Transformationen. VS Verlag.Search in Google Scholar
Isaacs, E., Szymanski, M., Yamauchi, Y., Glasnapp, J., & Iwamoto, K. (2012). Integrating local and remote worlds through channel blending. In S. Poltrock, C. Simone, J. Grudin, G. Mark, & J. Riedl (Eds.), Proceedings of the ACM 2012 conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work – CSCW 2012 (p. 617). ACM Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/2145204.214529910.1145/2145204.2145299Search in Google Scholar
Jacobs, W., Amuta, A. O., & Jeon, K. C. (2017). Health information seeking in the digital age: An analysis of health information seeking behavior among US adults. Cogent Social Sciences, 3(1).10.1080/23311886.2017.1302785Search in Google Scholar
Kelley, R. L., Osborne, W. J., & Hendrick, C. (1974). Role-taking and role-playing in human communication. Human Communication Research, 1(1), 62–74. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.1974.tb00254.x10.1111/j.1468-2958.1974.tb00254.xSearch in Google Scholar
Keppler, A. (1994). Tischgespräche: Über Formen kommunikativer Vergemeinschaftung am Beispiel der Konversation in Familien [Table talks: On forms of communicative communitization, taking family conversations as example]. Zugl.: Konstanz, Univ., Habil.-Schr., 1992/1993 (1st ed.). Suhrkamp-Taschenbuch Wissenschaft: Vol. 1132. Suhrkamp.Search in Google Scholar
Krok-Schoen, J. L., Palmer-Wackerly, A. L., Dailey, P. M., Wojno, J. C., & Krieger, J. L. (2017). Age differences in cancer treatment decision making and social support. Journal of Aging and Health, 29(2), 187–205. https://doi.org/10.1177/089826431662848810.1177/0898264316628488Search in Google Scholar
Laidsaar-Powell, R., Butow, P., Bu, S., Charles, C., Gafni, A., Fisher, A., & Juraskova, I. (2016). Family involvement in cancer treatment decision-making: A qualitative study of patient, family, and clinician attitudes and experiences. Patient Education and Counseling, 99(7), 1146–1155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2016.01.01410.1016/j.pec.2016.01.014Search in Google Scholar
Laidsaar-Powell, R., Butow, P. N., Bu, S., Charles, C., Gafni, A., Lam, W. W. T., …, & Juraskova, I. (2013). Physician-patient-companion communication and decision-making: A systematic review of triadic medical consultations. Patient Education and Counseling, 91(1), 3–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2012.11.00710.1016/j.pec.2012.11.007Search in Google Scholar
Laidsaar-Powell, R., Butow, P., Bu, S., Fisher, A., & Juraskova, I. (2017). Oncologists’ and oncology nurses’ attitudes and practices towards family involvement in cancer consultations. European Journal of Cancer, 26(1), e12470. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.1247010.1111/ecc.12470Search in Google Scholar
Lamore, K., Montalescot, L., & Untas, A. (2017). Treatment decision-making in chronic diseases: What are the family members’ roles, needs and attitudes? A systematic review. Patient Education and Counseling, 100(12), 2172–2181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2017.08.00310.1016/j.pec.2017.08.003Search in Google Scholar
Lin, M.-L., Huang, C.-T., & Chen, C.-H. (2017). Reasons for family involvement in elective surgical decision-making in Taiwan: A qualitative study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 26(13–14), 1969–1977. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.1360010.1111/jocn.13600Search in Google Scholar
Lin, M.-L., Pang, M.-C. S., & Chen, C.-H. (2013). Family as a whole: Elective surgery patients’ perception of the meaning of family involvement in decision making. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22(1–2), 271–278. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04194.x10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04194.xSearch in Google Scholar
Link, E., Reifegerste, D., & Klimmt, C. (2020). Family involvement in the context of chronic diseases: The role of social support in treatment decision-making for surgical procedures. Journal of Family Research, 32(1), 45–71. https://doi.org/10.20377/jfr-16010.20377/jfr-160Search in Google Scholar
Linke, C. (2013). Mobile media and communication in everyday life: Milestones and challenges. Mobile Media & Communication, 1(1), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1177/205015791245950110.1177/2050157912459501Search in Google Scholar
Madianou, M., & Miller, D. (2013). Polymedia: Towards a new theory of digital media in interpersonal communication. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 16(2), 169–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/136787791245248610.1177/1367877912452486Search in Google Scholar
Manning, J., & Kunkel, A. (2015). Qualitative approaches to dyadic data analyses in family communication research: An invited essay. Journal of Family Communication, 15(3), 185–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2015.104343410.1080/15267431.2015.1043434Search in Google Scholar
Mayring, P. (2014). Qualitative content analysis: Theoretical foundation, basic procedures and software solution. Retrieved September 01, 2022 from https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/39517.Search in Google Scholar
Menke, M., Wagner, A., & Kinnebrock, S. (2020). Communicative care in online forums: How burdened informal caregivers seek mediated social support. International Journal of Communication, 14, 1662–1682.Search in Google Scholar
Meyen, M., Löblich, M., Pfaff-Rüdiger, S., & Riesmeyer, C. (2019). Qualitative Forschung in der Kommunikationswissenschaft: Eine praxisorientierte Einführung [Qualitative research in communication science: A practical introduction] (2nd ed.). Studienbücher zur Kommunikations- und Medienwissenschaft. Wiesbaden: Springer Fachmedien. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-23530-710.1007/978-3-658-23530-7Search in Google Scholar
Nagl-Cupal, M., & Schnepp, W. (2010). Angehörige auf Intensivstationen: Auswirkungen und Bewältigung. Eine Literaturübersicht über qualitative Forschungsarbeiten [Family members in the intensive care unit: Effects and mastering the situation. A review of qualitative studies]. Pflege, 23(2), 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1024/1012-5302/a00002010.1024/1012-5302/a000020Search in Google Scholar
Parks, M. R. (2017). Embracing the challenges and opportunities of mixed-media relationships. Human Communication Research, 43(4), 505–517. https://doi.org/10.1111/hcre.1212510.1111/hcre.12125Search in Google Scholar
Rains, S. A., & Ruppel, E. K. (2016). Channel complementarity theory and the health information-seeking process. Communication Research, 43(2), 232–252. https://doi.org/10.1177/009365021351093910.1177/0093650213510939Search in Google Scholar
Reifegerste, D., Bachl, M., & Baumann, E. (2017). Surrogate health information seeking in Europe: Influence of source type and social network variables. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 103, 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.04.00610.1016/j.ijmedinf.2017.04.006Search in Google Scholar
Reifegerste, D., & Linke, C. (2020). Die Rolle digitaler Medien in Unterstützungsrepertoires junger KrebspatientInnen: Eine ego-zentrierte Netzwerkanalyse [The role of digital media in support repertoires of young cancer patients: An egocentric network analysis]. In A. Wagner & A. Kalch (Eds.), Aktuelle Handlungsfelder der Gesundheitskommunikation zwischen Lifestyle und Digitalisierung (pp. 91–102). Nomos.10.5771/9783748900658-89Search in Google Scholar
Rosland, A.-M., Heisler, M., Janevic, M. R., Connell, C. M., Langa, K. M., Kerr, E. A., & Piette, J. D. (2013). Current and potential support for chronic disease management in the United States: The perspective of family and friends of chronically ill adults. Families, Systems, & Health, 31(2), 119–131. https://doi.org/10.1037/a003153510.1037/a0031535Search in Google Scholar
Rupert, D. J., Gard Read, J., Amoozegar, J. B., Moultrie, R. R., Taylor, O. M., O’Donoghue, A. C., & Sullivan, H. W. (2016). Peer-generated health information: The role of online communities in patient and caregiver health decisions. Journal of Health Communication, 21(11), 1187–1197. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2016.123759210.1080/10810730.2016.1237592Search in Google Scholar
Ruppel, E. K., & Rains, S. A. (2012). Information sources and the health information-seeking process: An application and extension of channel complementarity theory. Communication Monographs, 79(3), 385–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2012.69762710.1080/03637751.2012.697627Search in Google Scholar
Serrano, K. J., Yu, M., Riley, W. T., Patel, V., Hughes, P., Marchesini, K., & Atienza, A. A. (2016). Willingness to exchange health information via mobile devices: Findings from a population-based survey. Annals of Family Medicine, 14(1), 34–40. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.188810.1370/afm.1888Search in Google Scholar
Shin, D. W., Cho, J., Roter, D. L., Kim, S. Y., Sohn, S. K., Yoon, M.-S., …, & Park, J.-H. (2013). Preferences for and experiences of family involvement in cancer treatment decision-making: Patient-caregiver dyads study. Psycho-Oncology, 22(11), 2624–2631. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.333910.1002/pon.3339Search in Google Scholar
Taneja, H., Webster, J. G., Malthouse, E. C., & Ksiazek, T. B. (2012). Media consumption across platforms: Identifying user-defined repertoires. New Media & Society, 14(6), 951–968. https://doi.org/10.1177/146144481143614610.1177/1461444811436146Search in Google Scholar
Valente, T. W. (2015). Social networks and health behaviors. In K. Glanz, B. K. Rimer, & K. Viswanath (Eds.), Health behavior and health education: Theory, research, and practice (5th ed., pp. 205–222). Jossey-Bass.Search in Google Scholar
Wagner, A. (2021). Satire und Alltagskommunikation. Kontexte, Konstellationen und Funktionen der Kommunikation zu medialer Satire. Springer.10.1007/978-3-658-34296-8Search in Google Scholar
Wagner, A. & Reifegerste, D. (2021). “The Part Played by People” in Times of COVID-19: Interpersonal Communication about Media Coverage in a Pandemic Crisis. Health Communication, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.198978610.1080/10410236.2021.1989786Search in Google Scholar
Washington, K. T., Meadows, S. E., Elliott, S. G., & Koopman, R. J. (2011). Information needs of informal caregivers of older adults with chronic health conditions. Patient Education and Counseling, 83(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.04.01710.1016/j.pec.2010.04.017Search in Google Scholar
Wolff, J. L., & Roter, D. L. (2012). Older adults’ mental health function and patient-centered care: Does the presence of a family companion help or hinder communication? Journal of General Internal Medicine, 27(6), 661–668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-011-1957-510.1007/s11606-011-1957-5Search in Google Scholar
Wright, K. B., Rains, S., & Banas, J. (2010). Weak‐tie support network preference and perceived life stress among participants in health‐related, computer‐mediated support groups. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 15(4), 606–624. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01505.x10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01505.xSearch in Google Scholar
Zhang, Y. (2014). Beyond quality and accessibility: Source selection in consumer health information searching. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 65(5), 911–927. https://doi.org/10.1002/asi.2302310.1002/asi.23023Search in Google Scholar
© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
