Routinization and sensitivity: interaction in oncological follow-up consultations

The empirical data of this study were gathered in the form of audio-taped r ecordings of dialogues between 21 patients, who had had operations for test icular cancer and three physicians during follow-up consultations. The aim is to inquire into how routine practices affect the goals of checking up th e medical conditions and providing patients with reassurance, and how pract ices affect the treatment of sensitive topics and the patients' possibiliti es of bringing up their own problems are affected. The results show that th e routines built up by the medical care programme are used as recurrent opp ortunities for the parties to confirm that the situation is under control a nd as resources when they talk about the sensitive topics of sexuality and fertility. How the routinization affected the patients' possibilities of br inging up their own problems cannot be fully determined. Of the 50 initiati ves by patients to present their problems, only nine did so solely on their own initiative.