This paper examines change-of-shift reports of an emergency medical service unit in a rural hospital in Kazakhstan. The data are from long term videographic field work conducted in this hospital. Change-of-shift reports are embedded in a daily meeting of the hospital staff. 39 video recorded instances of this meeting, with a total of about 21 hours of footage, were analysed from a multimodal, conversation analytical and ethnomethodological perspective. The daily meeting provides an organisational space for the exchange of information and for status updates on work related issues, such as patients’ health conditions or the current supply of medication. Several medical teams give reports during these meetings. The change-of-shift reports are given by paramedics of the emergency medical service unit. They are essential for providing physicians in charge with crucial information about patients. Additionally, change-of-shift reports provide opportunities for gossip, e.g. about patients or members of the village community. This informal aspect of health communication is largely due to the fact that the hospital is located in a village where staff members know many members of the village community personally. The paper shows how two types of knowledge, fact-oriented medical case knowledge, on the one hand, and knowledge about the village community, on the other hand, are deeply entangled. Eventually, this paper compares change-of-shift reports in the Kazakh hospital with those from other regions of the world. It thereby responds to Gill and Roberts’ (2012: 591) appeal to include empirical studies from the Global South in comprehensive, cross-cultural comparisons of health communication. References Gill, V.T. and F. Roberts (2012). “Conversation analysis in medicine” Pp. 575-592 in J. Sidnell and T. Stivers (eds.) Handbook of Conversation Analysis. Oxford, UK:Wiley-Blackwell.
