Olaug S. Lian
Professor
Job description
Professor in medical sociology and leader of the Medical Humanities research group
- Fundingsrud, Hans Petter; Lian, Olaug S. Geografiske ulikheter i tilbudet av polikliniske tjenester til barn og unge ved norske sykehus - et kulturperspektiv. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning 2022; Volum 25 (1). ISSN 0809-2052.s 1 - 15.s doi: 10.18261/tfv.25.1.4.
- Grange, Huw R.; Lian, Olaug S.. "Doors started to appear:" A methodological framework for analyzing visuo-verbal data drawing on Roland Barthes's classification of text-image relations. International Journal of Qualitative Methods (IJQM) 2022; Volum 21. ISSN 1609-4069.s doi: 10.1177/16094069221084433.
- Norddal, Guri A.; Wifstad, Åge; Lian, Olaug S. ‘It’s like getting your car checked’: the social construction of diabetes risk among participants in a population study. (fulltekst) Health, Risk and Society 2022; Volum 42 (3-4). ISSN 1369-8575.s 93 - 108.s doi: 10.1080/13698575.2022.2028742.
- Lian, Olaug S; Nettleton, Sarah; Wifstad, Åge; Dowrick, Christopher. Modes of Interaction in Naturally Occurring Medical Encounters with General Practitioners: The ´One in a Million´ Study. Qualitative Health Research 2021; Volum 31 (6). ISSN 1049-7323.s 1129 - 1143.s doi: 10.1177/1049732321993790.
- Lian, Olaug S; Nettleton, Sarah; Wifstad, Åge; Dowrick, Christopher. Negotiating uncertainty in clinical encounters: A narrative exploration of naturally occurring primary care consultations. Social Science and Medicine 2021; Volum 291. ISSN 0277-9536.s doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114467.
- Lian, Olaug S; Nettleton, Sarah; Grange, Huw R.; Dowrick, Christopher. “I’m not the doctor; I’m just the patient”: Patient agency and shared decision-making in naturally occurring primary care consultations. Patient Education and Counseling 2021. ISSN 0738-3991.s doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.10.031.
- Lian, Olaug S. Contested chronic conditions fused with medical uncertainty: gendered perspectives. (omtale) Routledge 2019 ISBN 9781138351929.s 78 - 95.s doi: 10.4324/9780429434952-5.
- Lian, Olaug S; Robson, Catherine. Socially constructed and structurally conditioned conflicts in territories of medical uncertainty. (fulltekst) Social Theory & Health 2018; Volum 17 (1). ISSN 1477-8211.s 23 - 39.s doi: 10.1057/s41285-018-00082-w.
- Robson, Catherine; Myers, Lorna; Pretorius, Chrisma; Lian, Olaug S; Reuber, Marcus. Health related quality of life of people with non-epileptic seizures: The role of socio-demographic characteristics and stigma. (fulltekst) Seizure 2018; Volum 55. ISSN 1059-1311.s 93 - 99.s doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2018.01.001.
- Sand, Anne-Sofie; Furberg, Anne-Sofie; Lian, Olaug S; Nielsen, Christopher Sivert; Pettersen, Gunn; Winther, Anne; Emaus, Nina. Cross-sectional study of the differences between measured, perceived and desired body size and their relations with self-perceived health in young adults: The Tromsø Study - Fit Futures 2. (fulltekst) Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2017; Volum 45 (3). ISSN 1403-4948.s 322 - 330.s doi: 10.1177/1403494817690941.
- Sand, Anne-Sofie; Emaus, Nina; Lian, Olaug S. Motivation and obstacles for weight management among young women - a qualitative study with a public health focus - the Tromsø study: Fit Futures. (fulltekst) BMC Public Health 2017; Volum 17 (417). ISSN 1471-2458.s doi: 10.1186/s12889-017-4321-9.
- Robson, Catherine; Lian, Olaug S. “Blaming, shaming, humiliation”: Stigmatising medical interactions among people with non-epileptic seizures.. (fulltekst) Wellcome Open Research 2017; Volum 2. ISSN 2398-502X.s doi: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.12133.2.
- Lian, Olaug S; Robson, Catherine; Bondevik, Hilde. Women With Long-Term Exhaustion in Fictional Literature: A Comparative Approach. Routledge 2017 ISBN 9781315515694.s 113 - 127.s doi: 10.1201/9781315515694-9.
- Lian, Olaug S; Robson, Catherine. ”It´s incredible how much I´ve had to fight.” Negotiating medical uncertainty in clinical encounters.. (fulltekst) International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 2017; Volum 12. ISSN 1748-2623.s doi: 10.1080/17482631.2017.1392219.
- Hansen, Anne Helen; Lian, Olaug S. Experiences of general practitioner continuity among women with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cross-sectional study. BMC Health Services Research 2016; Volum 16 (1). ISSN 1472-6963.s 1 - 8.s doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1909-1.
- Robson, Catherine; Lian, Olaug S. “Are you saying she’s mentally ill then?” Explaining medically unexplained seizures in clinical encounters. (fulltekst) Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung 2016; Volum 17 (1). ISSN 1438-5627.
- Lian, Olaug S; Rapport, Frances. Life according to ME: Caught in the ebb-tide. (fulltekst) Health 2016; Volum 20 (6). ISSN 1363-4593.s 578 - 598.s doi: 10.1177/1363459315622041.
- Hansen, Anne Helen; Lian, Olaug S. How do women with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis rate quality and coordination of health care services? A cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2016; Volum 6 (4). ISSN 2044-6055.s doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010277.
- Lian, Olaug S; Lorem, Geir F. “I do not really belong out there anymore”: Sense of being and belonging among people With medically unexplained long-term fatigue. (fulltekst) Qualitative Health Research 2016; Volum 27 (4). ISSN 1049-7323.s 474 - 486.s doi: 10.1177/1049732316629103.
- Lian, Olaug S; Grue, Jan. Generating a Social Movement Online Community through an Online Discourse: The Case of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. (fulltekst) Journal of Medical Humanities 2016. ISSN 1041-3545.s 1 - 17.s doi: 10.1007/s10912-016-9390-8.
- Lian, Olaug S; Nettleton, Sarah. United we stand: Framing myalgic encephalomyelitis in a virtual symbolic community?. (fulltekst) Qualitative Health Research 2015; Volum 25 (10). ISSN 1049-7323.s 1383 - 1394.s doi: 10.1177/1049732314562893.
- Lian, Olaug S; Bondevik, Hilde. Medical constructions of long-term exhaustion, past and present. (fulltekst) Sociology of Health and Illness 2015; Volum 37 (6). ISSN 0141-9889.s 920 - 935.s doi: 10.1111/1467-9566.12249.
- Lian, Olaug S; Hansen, Anne Helen. Factors facilitating patient satisfaction among women with medically unexplained long-term fatigue: A relational perspective. Health 2015; Volum 20 (3). ISSN 1363-4593.s 308 - 326.s doi: 10.1177/1363459315583158.
- Sand, Anne-Sofie; Emaus, Nina; Lian, Olaug S. Overweight and obesity in young adult women: A matter of health or appearance? The Tromsø study: Fit futures. (fulltekst) International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 2015; Volum 10. ISSN 1748-2623.s doi: 10.3402/qhw.v10.29026.
- Lian, Olaug S. Hva ligger i navnet? Psykiatriske diagnoser og diagnosenes sosiologi. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening 2014; Volum 51 (9). ISSN 0332-6470.s 723 - 728.
- Hansen, Anne Helen; Kristoffersen, Agnete Egilsdatter; Lian, Olaug S; Halvorsen, Peder Andreas. Continuity of GP care is associated with lower use of complementary and alternative medical providers: a population-based cross-sectional survey. BMC Health Services Research 2014; Volum 14 (629). ISSN 1472-6963.s doi: 10.1186/s12913-014-0629-7.
- Lian, Olaug S; Bondevik, Hilde. Diagnosenes sosiologi: Medisinske forståelser av utmattede kvinner – før og nå. Sosiologisk Tidsskrift 2013; Volum 21 (4). ISSN 0804-0486.s 329 - 352.
- Klüwer-Trotter, Birgitte; Lian, Olaug S. Holdninger til legesøkning – variasjoner etter sosial tilhørighet?. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2012; Volum 132 (1). ISSN 0029-2001.s 36 - 40.s doi: 10.4045/tidsskr.11.0380.
- Lian, Olaug S. Medikaliseringens uttrykk, drivkrefter og implikasjoner. Gyldendal Akademisk 2012 ISBN 978-82-05-42414-2.s 38 - 61.
- Lian, Olaug S. Å iscenesette en fortelling om helse: Vitenskapssosiologiske refleksjoner. Gyldendal Akademisk 2012 ISBN 978-82-05-42414-2.s 231 - 250.
- Lian, Olaug S. Etter Gullalderen: Nye utfordringer for helsetjenesten. Fagbokforlaget 2012 ISBN 9788245012088.s 27 - 55.
- Lian, Olaug S. Vitenskap og verdier i moderne medisin: Idealer og realiteter. Sosiologisk Årbok 2012; Volum 25 (2). ISSN 0808-288X.s 83 - 106.
- Lian, Olaug S. Helseprofesjonenes utvikling – et kontekstuelt perspektiv. (fulltekst) Michael Quarterly 2009; Volum 6 (3). ISSN 1504-0658.s 313 - 320.
- Lian, Olaug S; Westin, Steinar. Bidrar helsetjenesten til sosiale ulikheter i helse?. Gyldendal Akademisk 2009 ISBN 978-82-05-39268-7.s 315 - 335.
- Lian, Olaug S. Medisinen - det falske marked?. Gyldendal Akademisk 2009 ISBN 978-82-05-39332-5.s 39 - 53.
- Lian, Olaug S. Global challenges, global solutions? A cross-national comparison of primary health care in Britain, Norway and the Czech Republic. (omtale) Health Sociology Review 2008; Volum 17 (1). ISSN 1446-1242.s 27 - 40.
- Lian, Olaug S. Pasienten som kunde. Gyldendal Akademisk 2008 ISBN 9788205380974.s S. [34]-56 - .
- Lian, Olaug S. Rural doctors on a global stage: Do local communities make a difference?. (fulltekst) Social Theory & Health 2007; Volum 5 (1). ISSN 1477-8211.s 88 - 102.
- Lian, Olaug S. Den moderne Eos-myten om medikalisering som modernitetsfenomen. Sosiologisk Tidsskrift 2006; Volum 14 (1). ISSN 0804-0486.s 63 - 87.
- Lian, Olaug S. Forskningsmessige utfordringer i studier av pasienttilfredshet. Universitetsforlaget 2005 ISBN 8215004830.s 141 - 156.
- Merok, Eivind Gustav; Lian, Olaug S. Distriktsmedisin mellom nostalgi og avantgarde. Cappelen Damm Høyskoleforlaget 2005 ISBN 8276346529.s 168 - 174.
- Lian, Olaug S; Merok, Eivind Gustav. Distriktsmedisinen og jakten på identiteten. Cappelen Damm Høyskoleforlaget 2005 ISBN 8276346529.s 9 - 17.
- Lian, Olaug S. Globalisering, lokalsamfunn og distriktsmedisin. Cappelen Damm Høyskoleforlaget 2005 ISBN 8276346529.s 35 - 56.
- Lian, Olaug; Wilsgaard, Tom. Pasienttilfredshet - et godt kvalitetsmål?. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning 2005 (Årg. 8, nr 1). ISSN 0809-2052.s 19 - 33.
- Lian, Olaug S; Wilsgaard, Tom. Pasienterfaringer i primærlegetjenesten før og etter fastlegereformen. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2004 (Årg. 124, nr 5). ISSN 0029-2001.s 655-658 - .
- Lian, Olaug S. Sosiologiske forståelser av helse, sykdom og medisinsk praksis. Gyldendal Akademisk 2004 ISBN 8205315329.s 101 - 117.
- Lian, Olaug S. Allmennlegetjenesten og fastlegeordningen. Fagbokforlaget 2004 ISBN 82-450-0112-0.s 95 - 118.
- Lian, Olaug S. Økonomer i hvite frakker? Legerollen i markedets tid. Gyldendal Akademisk 2004 ISBN 82-05-32554-5.s 123 - 136.
- Lian, Olaug S. Convergence or divergence? Reforming primary care in Norway and Britain. (fulltekst) Milbank Quarterly 2003; Volum 81 (2). ISSN 0887-378X.s 305 - 330.
- Lian, Olaug S; Skolbekken, John-Arne. Etiske utfordringer ved innføring av ny medisinsk teknologi. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2003; Volum 123 (4). ISSN 0029-2001.s 478 - 481.
- Lian, Olaug S; Skolbekken, John-Arne. Hva er drivkreftene bak etterspørselen etter ny teknologi. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2003; Volum 123 (5). ISSN 0029-2001.s 653 - 656.
- Lian, Olaug S. Når helse blir en vare. REspekt 2003 (3). ISSN 1503-1985.s 37 - 43.
- Lian, Olaug S. Tillitens vilkår i en markedsorientert helsetjeneste. Sosiologi i dag 2003; Volum 33 (2). ISSN 0332-6330.s 31 - 49.
- Lian, Olaug S; Røttingen, John-Arne. Legen - homo economicus eller homo sociologicus?. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2002; Volum 122 (17). ISSN 0029-2001.s 1682 - 1685.
- Lian, Olaug S. Flere unge på uføretrygd - uttrykk for økt sykelighet eller endrede samfunnsforhold? (leder). (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2001; Volum 121 (12). ISSN 0029-2001.s 1451 - .
- Lian, Olaug S. Norms for priority setting among health professionals: a view from Norway. (fulltekst) Sociology of Health and Illness 2001; Volum 23 (3). ISSN 0141-9889.s 357 - 385.
- Lian, Olaug S. Reformpolitikk og organisasjonskultur - et eksempel fra sykehussektoren. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning 2000; Volum 3 (3). ISSN 0809-2052.s 172 - 187.
- Lian, Olaug S. Fra Bentham til Bourdieu. Den sosiologiske kritikken av utilitarismen. Sosiologisk Årbok 2000; Volum 5 (2). ISSN 0808-288X.s 43 - 88.
- Lian, Olaug S. Behovet for helsetjenester - naturgitt eller sosialt bestemt?. (fulltekst) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 2000; Volum 120 (1). ISSN 0029-2001.s 111 - 114.
- Lian, Olaug S; Kristiansen, Ivar Sønbø. Ventetidsgarantien mellom medisin og byråkrati. (omtale) Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening 1998; Volum 118 (25). ISSN 0029-2001.s 3921 - 3926.
- Lian, Olaug S; Midre, Georges L. Økonomismens hegemoni. Sosiologisk Tidsskrift 1996; Volum 4 (2). ISSN 0804-0486.s 91 - 118.
- Lian, Olaug S; Løchen, Yngvar. Epilog. 1996 ISBN 82-518-3434-1.s 221 - 225.
- Lian, Olaug S. Helsegodenes fordelingslogikk. 1996 ISBN 82-518-3434-1.s 91 - 130.
- Lian, Olaug S. Norsk helsevesen - utfordringer og utviklingstrekk. 1996 ISBN 82-518-3434-1.s 11 - 25.
- Lian, Olaug S. Rettferdighetsnormer og fordelingspolitikk. Om DRG-finansiering og prioriteringer i helsevesenet. Norsk Statsvitenskapelig Tidsskrift 1994; Volum 10 (4). ISSN 0801-1745.s 375 - 396.
Research interests
Clinical interaction in context: a narrative exploration of 212 naturally occurring GP consultations.
Clinical interaction between patients and doctors is embedded within, positioned and inseparable from social context. In this study, we explore how illness narratives are co-constructed within naturally occurring clinical consultations between doctors and patients. Clinical uncertainty and shared decision-making are emphasised. Although our empirical exploration focuses on in situ consultations between patients and GPs as they unfold, we situate their interaction in the sociocultural context in which it is embedded and explore their negotiations in relation to their institutionalized positions and roles. The study is based on 212 naturally occurring GP consultations in England, sourced from the One in a Million data archive in the UK. Consultations involve musculoskeletal, psychological, digestive, cardiovascular, neurological, endocrine/metabolic and general conditions. By exploring complete naturally occurring consultations with a heterogenous sample of patients, we capture the interactional dynamics of negotiations in relation to a wide range of consultation aspects and clinical conditions. Contextualising these negotiations enables us to see how the actions of both patients and GPs are tied to their different institutionalised positions. Through data-grounded coding of all 212 consultations in NVivo, we are able to relate our in-depth cases to the wider dataset. Although we use a mix of analytical methods, our main approach is qualitative interpretive methods, particularly narrative and thematic analysis. The researchgroup is international and interdiciplinary.
Most recent publication from the project:
- Lian, OS; Nettleton, S; Grange, H and Dowrick, C (2021) “I’m not the doctor; I’m just the patient”: Patient agency and shared decision-making in naturally occurring primary care consultations. Patient Education and Counceling. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2021.10.031
- Lian, OS; Nettleton, S; Wifstad, Å and Dowrick, C (2021) Negotiating Uncertainty in Clinical Encounters: A Narrative Exploration of Naturally Occurring Primary Care Consultations. Social Science & Medicine 291 (114467). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114467. Social media response.
- Lian OS; Nettleton, S; Wifstad, Å and Dowrick, C (2021) Modes of Interaction in Naturally Occurring Medical Encounters with General Practitioners: The ´One in a Million´ Study. Qualitative Health Research 31(6): 1129-1143. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732321993790.
Complete list of research interests:
- Clinical interaction and shared decision-making
- Uncertainty and risk
- Medical uncertainty
- Illness narratives
- Contested Chronic Conditions: experiential perspectives
- Sociology of diagnosis
- Social constructions of health and illness
- Cultural, historical and gendered perspectives on medical knowledge and practice
- Medicalisation as a modern phenomena
- Qualitative research and narrative theory
- The role of theory in qualitative research
- Photography and visual research
Member of research group
CV
Professor in medical sociology
Academic degree
Dr. Polit. 1999 (sociology)
Cand. Polit. 1993 (sociology and philosophy)
Current academic roles
- Professor in medical sociology, Department of Community Medicine, University of Tromsø (since 2013)
- Research advisor (20%) at the University hospital of Northern Norway (since 2003)
- Member of International advisory board, Sociology of health & illness
- Reviewer for 13 journals: Sociology of health & illness, Social Science & Medicine, Qualitative Health Research, Social theory & health, Patient education and counselling, Scandinavian journal of public health, British Journal of Social Psychology, Journal of Psychosomatic Research, BMC Family Practice, Medical Humanities, Sosiologisk tidsskrift, Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning and Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening.
Previous academic positions
- Various academic positions at University of Tromsø from 1993 to 2004 (PhD fellow/post. doc./researcher/)
- Associate professor at University of Tromsø 2004 - 2013
- Editor Sosiologisk tidsskrift [Journal of sociology] in 2014
- Visiting scholar, Department of sociology, University of York, from March to May 2012.
- Research manager (20%), The Health Service Research Program of the Norwegian Research Council (2008-2010)
- Member of several committees working to elaborate a new curriculum for medical studies at University of Tromsø (from 2006 to 2011)
- Visiting scholar, Czech Association for Health Services Research, Prague, The Czech Republic (3 months during 2005)
- Visiting scholar, Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, UK (12 months during 2000 and 2001)
- Member of expert panel on social inequalities in health appointed by The Norwegian Directorate of Health (2005-2013)
- Researcher at University of Oslo, Department of health sciences, 10% (2018-2021)
Research grants as project manager
- Quality, accessibility and coordination of health care in Norway for people with chronic illnesses - seen from the users’ point of view, research project (1/2011 – 12/2014), Norwegian Research Council, grant no. 212987 (5 mill. Norwegian crowns).
- Pasienterfaringer i allmennlegetjenesten før og etter fastlegeordningen, research project, (10/2002 – 12/2003), Norwegian Research Council, grant no. 151318/330.
- When health becomes commodified, post. doc. project (07/1999 – 06/2002), Norwegian Research Council, grant no. 129173/330.
- Convergence or divergence? Reforming primary care in Norway and United Kingdom, research project (07.2000 – 07/2001), Norwegian Research Council, grant no. 137351/300.
- Nyere helsepolitiske reformer - fordelingsvirkninger og normative problemstillinger, PhD-project (02/1995 – 03/1999), Norwegian Research Council, grant no. 108243/330.
Invited speeches and paper presentations (selection, since 2012)
- (Co-)construction of illness narratives in medical encounters characterised by uncertainty (with Christopher Dowrick, Sarah Nettleton and Åge Wifstad), SymPCa conference, Sheffield UK, 27. September 2019.
- Contextualising health narratives as situated action. CANCUL seminar University of Oslo, 28. October 2019.
- Sosio-logiske helseulikheter i breddeformat. Invitert foredrag, Vinterseminaret, Norsk Sosiologforening, Storefjell 1.2.2019.
- Biomedical hegemony: a critical perspective on the cultural imperialism of modern biomedical perspectives on human life. Paper presentation at The 6th Euroacademia Global Forum of Critical Studies - Asking Big Questions Again, Lucca, Italy, 23-25 November 2017.
- Gendered perspectives on contested chronic conditions. Invited speaker at the conference ”Embodying the gender regime: health, illness and dis-ease across the life course”, University of Liverpool UK, 22 September 2017.
- ”I do not really belong out there anymore.” Sense of being and belonging among people with medically unexplained long-term fatigue. Paper presented at the 12th ESA conference, Prague, Czech Republic, 28 August 2015.
- “United we stand.” The discursive framing of online negotiations of ME in a virtual symbolic community. Speech given at the ESRC seminar series on the sociology of diagnosis, University of York, 27. January 2014.
- Negotiating medically unexplained seizures (PNES) in clinical encounters. Paper presented at the 67.th BSA Annual Conference 2014 in Leeds, England, 23. April 2014 (with Catherine Robson).
- Kvalitet på helsetjenester til ME-syke: et brukerperspektiv. Regional nettverkskonferanse CFS/ME, Helse Nord, Tromsø 13. november 2014.
- Medical constructions of exhausted women – today and yesterday. Paper presented at the 66.th BSA Annual Conference 2013 in London, England, 5. April 2013.
- Negotiating ME in Norwegian Virtual Symbolic Communities. Paper presented at the BSA Medical Sociology Group Annual Conference, York 12. September 2013 (with Sarah Nettleton)
- Illness without disease – a challenge to the paradigm of modern medicine. Paper presented at the 14th biennal congress of ESHMS in Hannover, Germany, 31. August 2012.
- Illness without disease – a challenge to the paradigm of modern medicine. Paper presented at the 26th conference of the Nordic sociological association, Reykjavik, Island, 18. August 2012.
Publications: see Cristin