Trust and trustworthiness in the communication of uncertainty. The role of the General Practitioner

Abstract

Can we communicate effectively by reckoning with uncertainty? Is it possible to define a rhetorical structure of uncertainty? What changes in doctor-patient interpersonal communication and what is the role of the General Practitioner (GP)? This paper aims to investigate the framework of the rhetoric of uncertainty declined to the pandemic situation caused by COVID-19. We explore the changes in communication and in the relationship between the GP, a full-fledged actor in the information chain, and his/her patients. Finally, we analyse the role of trust and the dimension and rhetorical-argumentative effect in relation to the COVID-19 health emergency.