The manners in which family members talk through cancer within their home settings have received considerable attention. Yet little is known about how (or if) family members contribute in shaping the organization of oncology interviews between patients and doctors. This study examines the impact of family members on oncology interviews. Particular attention is given to how absent family members are referenced, by patients and doctors, and when co-present actually participate in interactions during routine clinical encounters. Family members' involvements during oncology interviews are important for three primary reasons. First, patients do not typically go through cancer alone. Second, doctors realize that patients routinely bring in family members during consultations. Finally, caregiving by family members is a prominent public health problem, but has not been examined as social activities occurring in the clinic. This research examines 44 instances of how patients and physicians reference family members as well as the contributions that co-present family members make during oncology interviews.
