OCHER 2025 – dates and keynote speakers

OCHER 2025 is scheduled to January 8-10, 2025 and will as usual happen at Thon Hotel Arena in Lillestrøm, midway between Oslo Airport and Oslo city centre.

We have two fantastic keynotes booked for the event. Professor of language, health, and society at Manchester Metropolitan University Alison Pilnick, and professor of clinical psychology Lidia del Piccolo at University of Verona.

We are in progress with a website for more information and registrations. As usual, abstract deadline will be in September, registration deadline mid October.

Program for OCHER 2024 ready

We hereby announce the full program for OCHER 2024 which takes place at Thon Hotel Arena, Lillestrøm January 10-12, 2024. This 11th international workshop on communication in healthcare is overbooked with more than 60 participants from eight countries. Program 11th OCHER 2024

More than 60 registered for OCHER 2024

The program for next year’s OCHER is finalized and will be sent to participants. The interest this year has been unexpectedly high, but we do not have capacity to take more than those who have registered. The program will be published soon.

OCHER 2024 abstract submission and registration

The annual OCHER research workshop on clinical communication is now open for abstract submission and registration.  The workshop aims to allow researchers to present their projects at any stage from idea/concept to final analyses. We think of the workshop as a cradle for projects and a connection point particularly for young researchers who want to meet others interested in this vital field of inquiry. All accepted abstracts will be presented in 30 minutes parallel sessions slots, whereof 10 minutes are to be used for presentation and 20 minutes for discussion.

The workshop is in principle open to everyone doing research on clinical communication. However, the maximum number of participants is 60. Previous participants and researchers who they invite to the 2024 workshop will be given priority if the number of registrations exceed 60.

Deadlines, important information, and links to abstract submission and registration

Abstracts are due September 20. Notice of acceptance will be given October 4. Deadline for registration is October 11. Based on information provided at registration, invoices will be sent to the participant or his/her employer. Payment must be received by November 17.

Important notice: The registration fee does not cover accommodation/meals, which you are expected to pay directly to the hotel when present at the event. This means that the organizer Akershus University Hospital carries a risk if you make a late cancellation of your participation/stay. Hence, we cannot promise a refund of the registration fee if you cancel later than December 1, 2023.

Here are the links to abstract submission and registration. Welcome!

OCHER 2024 keynote speakers announcement

The annual research workshop on clinical communication, OCHER 2024, will be held at Thon Hotel Arena January 10-12. This time OCHER features three keynote speakers; Rebecca Barnes, Paul K J Han, and Lorraine Noble.  They will cover conversation analytic perspectives on general practice, verbal signaling behaviours, and uncertainty’s impact on doctor-patient communication.

Rebecca Barnes, associate professor at the University of Oxford

Her talks will be on:

  • The management of primary health care in interaction: A retrospective
  • Applying Conversation Analysis: Practical steps towards making an impact on healthcare

Lorraine Noble, professor at the University College London and also the current president of EACH International Association on Communication in Healthcare

Her talks will be on:

  • Examining power by counting doctors’ verbal markers of structure
  • Exploring whether doctors mean what they say

Paul K J Han, senior scientist at the National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, USA

His talks will be on:

  • The nature and management of medical uncertainty
  • Understanding medical uncertainty: the importance of language and a linguistic approach

Please spread this information. Information about abstract submission and registration will soon appear on this website, and will also be distributed to former participants in this annual workshop.

Pål Gulbrandsen to present at rEACH webinar on connectivity and communication

The research group of EACH International Association on Communication in Healthcare (www.each.international), has initiated a webinar series on connectivity for researchers in the field. April 21, the presenter will be OCHER lead Pål Gulbrandsen. The title is “It’s all about curiosity and trying to understand”, and he will describe how medical training de-learnt his curiosity for people, and how clinical practice resurrected it. The link to the webinar and registration here.

Publication list updated Feb 6, 2023

We added about 70 new publications to our list since August 9, 2021.

Important dates for OCHER 2024

OCHER 2024 will be held at Thon Hotel Arena in Lillestrøm, Norway January 10-12, 2024. Note the following important dates:

Abstract deadline: September 20, 2023. Notification of accept: October 4, 2023. Registration deadline: October 13, 2023. This year we will use an online registration form.

We hope to be able to announce plenary speakers by May 1.

Jennifer Gerwing to present at rEACH webinar

At January 31st at 5 PM Central European Time, Jennifer Gerwing is to present her talk “Appreciating the role of relationships in research” at the rEACH Connectivity Webinar Series. rEACH is the research group of the EACH International Association for Communication in Healthcare. A flyer for the talk:  Flyer_Jennifer-Gerwing January 31 2023. There is a link to the registration form also.

All time high for OCHER 2023 – detailed program available

After two years of cancellations because of the pandemic, this 10th OCHER research workshop on clinical communication has attracted almost 60 participants from eight countries. The program is tighter than ever, but we keep the normal scheduling – two parallel sessions with 30 min slots (10 min presentations + 20 min Q/A and discussions. Plenary speakers Sandra van Dulmen and Sarah Bigi (author of the book Communication (with) Care) will give two lectures each. We will also have a plenary workshop led by Gregory Makoul.

The full program (PDF document) is updated January 6th and is now available. Note that the venue has changed to Thon Hotel Arena in Lillestrøm as our normal venue hosts Ukrainian refugees.