Table 2 Topical categories and applied definition with examples

My medications

D: And also if you get fever

P: Yes

D: Get really ill, then you can take a double dose with Medrol

P: Yes, yes, yes

D: Because that is important

P: Yes, yes

“Fever and ill” are related to health, “you take” is an action for the patient. The future is “get/can”. This topic categorised as my medication, because Medrol is a medication the patient should take upon getting a fever.

Something the hospital will do for me

D: I am going to write a medical/doctor note to him (GP)

Health related words are “medical/doctor note” due to medical information about patient it contains. The action is related to physician: “I.. write”, and “going to” is related to future. The category is based on the fact that someone from the hospital will write the note for the patient.

Someone I visit away from home

D: Hope that the heart failure will adjust

P: Yes

D: Eh, but that is one of the things, you should control at the GP next week

P: Yes, exactly

Health related words are heart failure, the, “you … control” is an action to be performed by the patient. The future orientation is: “next week”. This category is about visit away from home, as the patient is visiting GP

Daily routine

D: Are you driving?

P: No, I have not been driving, because I didn’t have any car to drive

D: Yes, I want to give you, eh, you shouldn’t drive

D: Now that you had the tendency to fall, I would ask you to not do that

The health related words are: “tendency to fall”. The patient is doing the action: “you … driving”. The future orientation is: “shouldn’t” drive (after discharge). This example is then categorised as daily routine, because the driving has been part of the patient’s routine.

Someone coming to my home

P: It’s going to be fine, once I get more ointment

D: Yes, and the home nurse will help you with that, when you get home

P: Yes, that is good, thank you

Health related word is “ointment”, the home nurse is doing the action: “the home nurse will help you”, in the future: “when … get home”. It’s an activity for the nurse, thus the category is someone coming to my home.