Synopsis
This research aimes to explore verbal communication between audiologists and patients/companions throughout diagnosis and management planning in initial audiology consultations. Specifically, this study aims to describe the nature and dynamics of communication by examining the number, proportion, and type of verbal utterances by all speakers (audiologist, patient, and companion when present). In addition, this study aims to investigate the influence of audiologist, patient, and consultation factors, such as verbal dominance, content balance, and communication control, on the dynamics of communication.