Role of the doctor in relieving spiritual distress at the end of life.

Relief of spiritual distress is a part of good palliative care. This literature review examines journal articles and texts dealing with patient spiritual issues at the end of life to see what constitutes spiritual care, why such issues are felt to be part of healthcare, and how, when, and by whom they should be explored. It also looks at the anticipated outcomes of addressing spiritual distress. This review also notes recommendations in the literature regarding prerequisite skills and attributes of those providing spiritual care and some tools for spiritual assessment and guidance.