Examining Forms of Spiritual Care Provided in the Advanced Cancer Setting

Abstract

Spiritual care (SC) is important to the care of seriously ill patients. Few studies have examined types of SC provided and their perceived impact. This study surveyed patients with advanced cancer (N = 75, response rate [RR] = 73%) and oncology nurses and physicians (N = 339, RR = 63%). Frequency and perceived impact of 8 SC types were assessed. Spiritual care is infrequently provided, with encouraging or affirming beliefs the most common type (20%). Spiritual history taking and chaplaincy referrals comprised 10% and 16%, respectively. Most patients viewed each SC type positively, and SC training predicted provision of many SC types. In conclusion, SC is infrequent, and core elements of SC—spiritual history taking and chaplaincy referrals—represent a minority of SC. Spiritual care training predicts provision of SC, indicting its importance to advancing SC in the clinical setting.

Do patients want doctors to talk about spirituality? A systematic literature review

“…(65) This indicates that there is a mismatch in perceptions regarding whether R/S discussion has taken place. Perhaps this confusion regarding what R/S discussion is, and when it is desired, leads to such discussions being offered less frequently.…”

“…(66-68)Doctor-initiated patient-doctor prayer was discussed in 15 studies. It was viewed positively by a range of 6.5-100% patients,(9,25,32,36,37,40,42,45,53,56,59,60,62,63,65) and 28-71% of patients thought it was appropriate for the doctor to pray for them at least some of the time (32,40,62,63). Prayer was more likely to be desired by those who were female, more religious or spiritual, of Roman Catholic faith, and/or facing more serious illness (37,40,63).…”

Physicians' Opinions on Engaging Patients' Religious and Spiritual Concerns: A National Survey

“…Perhaps, this finding indicates that most patients and families are hesitant to ask their physicians to pray with them. One study by Epstein-Peterson et al 15 found that despite the inclusion of spiritual care in national palliative care guidelines, patients in the advanced cancer setting report that the actual provision of various types of spiritual care is nevertheless infrequent. In that study, for example, only 6% of patients and clinicians in this setting reported the provision of prayer.…”

Spiritual care in the training of hospice volunteers in Germany

“…Numerous authors have pointed out that spiritual needs at the end of life often receive insufficient Spiritual care in hospice volunteers' training attention or remain entirely unnoticed (Hermann, 2007;Epstein-Peterson et al, 2014;Hampton et al, 2007;Vallurupalli et al, 2012). This is aggravated by the fact that people communicate their spiritual needs in a variety of ways.…”