Voice Opportunity vs Voice Instrumentality: Examining Voice and Silence in Healthcare Teams through Ideological Dilemmas

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Poster Session: Theme Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

In healthcare setting, voice is essential for interprofessional collaboration on patient care plans. Indeed voice opportunities, aligning with an overarching discourse on patient safety, are widely available mandatory mechanisms for speaking up at routine multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. Yet, healthcare professionals in the MDT meetings often do not go beyond straightforward reporting of test results and biomedical-functional parameters. Post-meetings interviews with some of the clinicians reveal the discursive contradictions and silences inherent team discussions. These contradictions and silences come in the form of ideological dilemmas inherent in naturally occurring speech, and often go unnoticed. The ideological dilemmas explicate why healthcare practitioners do not exercise voice vigorously. We suggest a discursive and cultural shift in organizational discourse is needed to motivate voice.

Authors

• Mary Lee, National Healthcare Group

• Yu Han Ong, NHGHQ

• Keng Teng Tan, Tan Tock Seng Hospital