The importance of spirituality in medicine and its application to clinical practice.

Recent international and Australian surveys have shown that there is a need to incorporate the spiritual and religious dimension of patients into their management. By keeping patients' beliefs, spiritual/religious needs and supports separate from their care, we are potentially ignoring an important element that may be at the core of patients' coping and support systems and may be integral to their wellbeing and recovery. A consensus panel of the American College of Physicians has suggested four simple questions that physicians could ask patients when taking a spiritual history. Doctors and clinicians should not "prescribe" religious beliefs or activities or impose their religious or spiritual beliefs on patients. The task of in-depth religious counselling of patients is best done by trained clergy. In considering the spiritual dimension of the patient, the clinician is sending an important message that he or she is concerned with the whole person. This enhances the patient-physician relationship and is likely to increase the therapeutic impact of interventions. Doctors, health care professionals and mental health clinicians should be required to learn about the ways in which religion and culture can influence patients' needs and recovery.