The collaborative model of doctor-patient consultation--is it always culturally appropriate? What do doctors and patients need to know to make it work in intercultural contexts?

This article questions the assumption that a collaborative, participatory model of medical interview (as taught in most contemporary Western universities) is necessarily the most suitable and effective in cross-cultural interactions between doctors and patients. It highlights some of the challenges for international students in mastering this model, and extends Koehn's concept of the medical interview as involving 'mutual teaching' to suggest a role for the doctor as a 'cultural informant' who helps patients to acquire the 'medical literacy' and skills required to participate effectively.