Assessing Perception of Patients and Physicians Regarding Spirituality in Karachi, Pakistan: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Spirituality plays an important part in coping with life problems, health concerns, and well-being issues at individual and collective levels. In Pakistan, few studies have looked at the role of religion in patients' illnesses.
OBJECTIVE: To assess patients' and health care professionals' beliefs concerning spirituality and illness to understand the role of spirituality and religion in clinics.
METHODS: A total of 52 patients and 50 health care professionals from different specialties were interviewed. A self-devised tool was used to gain information from patients. For health care professionals a 17-item questionnaire was used.
RESULTS: The study results show that most patients view spirituality positively and want their physicians to discuss spirituality with them. Most patients believed that having a strong belief in spirituality helped them cope with their condition better. Most health care professionals surveyed believed that spirituality plays an important part in a patient's illness and its prognosis, but only a minority asked patients about spirituality. Most health care professionals quoted lack of time as one of the main reasons for not discussing spirituality with patients, and some believed it was a private matter. DISCUSSION: Many health care professionals are hesitant to discuss spiritual issues with patients because of lack of time, insufficient training, or their own discomfort. There is a need to incorporate training about spirituality in the medical curriculum, especially in religious societies such as in Pakistan. Further research is needed in this area.