The medical authority frame
As a persistent form of doctor-patient relationship rooted in the
“clinical tradition”, in the medical authority frame and by virtue of
their experience, clinicians can legitimately express opinions, give
advice and orient the decisions of their patients.2This frame is difficult to reconcile with that of the medico-scientific
expertise, which established itself as the opposite of the medical
authority paradigm. It is, therefore, only brought into play when the
course of (inter)actions requires some adjustment. The analysis of our
observations reveals three reasons for turning to medical authority.