Health Querying in the Digital Era. The Language of Health 2.0

Abstract

This book deals with the linguistic resources used in e-heath, in particular in the dialogue between specialists and e-patients as well as among users in e-forums. Traditional d/p exchanges have self-adapted to create new forms, and have evolved into a different product entirely. After establishing the area within the concept of e-health and the reasons why it is important to talk about this phenomenon, the book reports some analyses that show different aspects of these online exchanges. Starting from genre, linguistic features and dialogic markers, it continues on considerations on role postions and credibility as well as on legitimation of trust.