"You Mean Here?" - Video-Mediated Nurse-Patient Communication

This paper presents an analysis of an experimental setting where video-mediated communication between a nurse and a patient was used. The focus of the analysis is on the communication between the nurse and the patient and the role of the video conference system being used. The emphasis is on how video technology can support interpersonal communication, and thus the patient’s orientation not only to his nurse, but also to the knowledge that he is visible to his nurse, that is of interest here. This is done by referential practices which are directly analogous to those used in co-located situations. As a concluding discussion, the observations will be related to current and future design ideas.