patients stories science clinical facts or fairy tales objective to explore potentials and attributes of the qualitative research interview as a tool for acquiring knowledge about illnessdesign a qualitative approach comparing knowledge about consultations originating from 1 data from interviews with immigrant female patients and 2 evaluative data from registration forms from the doctorssetting and subjects 24 pakistani female patients recruited from the appointment list at a primary health care centre in central oslo were interviewed in their homes evaluation forms were filled in by the ten physicians consultedmain outcome measures illness knowledge derived from different communicative contexts contextual prerequisites suggest potential roads to the inquiry of illness applicable in the clinical context case stories patients illness perspectives and resources were probably encouraged in the interview by means of discourse underlining the womens resources this position may have emerged because the women were actually consulted by the interviewer dialogues actively seeking out the other persons illness perspective as recommended in the qualitative interview seem to encourage adequate exchange of medical informationconclusionimplications pursuing and modifying strategies from the qualitative interview for exploration of illness may contribute to clinical facts as well as scientific knowledge concerning illness