Communicative action and practical discourse to empower patients in healthcare-related decision making

The aim of the paper is to reconsider Habermas’ discourse approach in terms its usefulness realm public healthcare where, on a microscale, intersubjective communicative situations arise between defined participants, i.e., patients and providers, patients’ family members, further eligible contributors patient-related decision making. A need for more “communicative interaction,” explicative practical discourse, illustrated by two empirical examples medical making which reveal both discursive deficits (Section I). To empower enable patient as rational autonomous speaker participant, Habermasian emancipatory argument ‘the power better argument’ recalled III). possibility equal rights light real inequalities discussed context ‘competence gap’ participants IV). Further sections focus importance informed consent side competences an important factor system.