The Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS)
The RIAS was devised by Debra Roter in the 1970s as part of her doctoral dissertation at Johns Hopkins. She has devoted her entire academic career to enhancements of the system and development of rigorous methods of system use in training, research, education, evaluation and quality improvement to insure high standards of reliability and validity. The RIAS is the most widely used method of coding medical interaction across the spectrum of medical and health contexts around the world.
RIAS Software Applications
Proprietary software has been developed for use in RIAS-related coding projects. We encourage use of the RIAS system and wish to ensure that its use is standard, reliable, and compatible with prior applications. If interested in training in use of the RIAS, and access to the software, please contact us.
- Personal remarks, social conversation
- Laughs, tells jokes
- Shows concern or worry
- Reassures, encourages or show optimism
- Shows approval – direct
- Gives compliment – general
- Shows disapproval – direct
- Shows criticism – general
- Shows agreement or understanding
- Back-channel responses (physician only)
- Empathy statements
- Legitimizing statements
- Partnership statements (physician only)
- Self-disclosure statements (physician only)
- Asks for reassurance
- Transition words
- Gives orientation, instructions
- Paraphrase/checks for understanding
- Asks for understanding
- Bid for repetition
- Asks for opinion (physician only)
- Asks for permission (physician only)
- Asks closed-ended questions – medical condition
- Asks closed-ended questions – therapeutic regimen
- Asks closed-ended questions – lifestyle
- Asks closed-ended questions – psychosocial
- Asks closed-ended questions – other
- Asks open-ended questions – medical condition
- Asks open-ended questions – therapeutic regimen
- Asks open-ended questions – lifestyle
- Asks open-ended questions – psychosocial
- Asks open-ended questions – other
- Gives information – medical condition
- Gives information – therapeutic regimen
- Gives information – lifestyle
- Gives information – psychosocial
- Gives information – other
- Counsels-medical condition/therapeutic regimen (physician only)
- Counsels-lifestyle/psychosocial (physician only)
- Requests for services (patient only)
- Unintelligible utterances