Distributed decision making: the anatomy of decisions-in-action

Rapley, Timothy (2008) Distributed decision making: the anatomy of decisions-in-action. Sociology of Health & Illness, 30 (3). pp. 429-444. ISSN 0141-9889

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Abstract

Conceptualising the doctor-patient relationship has been a central project for both medicine and medical sociology. This paper seeks to show how an understanding of the distributed nature of medical practice can help us research the decision-making process in doctor-patient encounters. I draw on a range of empirical studies of medical interaction, knowledge, technology and work in primary and secondary care. I describe the 'ethno-methods' (Garfinkel 1967) of patient-orientated medical decision making in order to highlight some of the fundamental facets of distributed decision making. Initially, I outline how decision making is an ongoing event that often evolves over multiple encounters. I then show how decision making is never just a solo, cognitive activity but rather distributed over a range of people. Finally, I outline how decision making is initiated, sustained and transformed over a range of encounters with both people and technologies. I argue that recognising the distributed nature of decision making shifts the focus from overly prescriptive visions of decision making to more plausible, albeit, more mundane sets of ideals. Centrally, a focus on distribution offers new opportunities actively to engage with, support and research decision-making-in-action.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	doctor‐patient interaction, distributed, shared decision making
Subjects:	B900 Others in Subjects allied to Medicine L400 Social Policy
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing
Depositing User:	Paul Burns
Date Deposited:	12 Feb 2019 11:54
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2019 23:48
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/37945

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