Sofia Gomez1,2, Christine Nuñez Ba3, Betty White4, James Browning4, Horace M DeLisser1. 1. Academic Programs Office, 14640Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. 2. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, 6429Stanford University, Stanford CA, USA. 3. 12235Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA. 4. Department of Pastoral Care and Education, 6569University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The value of healthcare chaplains to patient care is increasingly recognized. However, physicians' understandings of the role of pastoral care have been reported to be poor, which have raised concerns about the quality of chaplain-physician interactions and their impact on patient care. These interactions, particularly from the perspective of the chaplain, have not been extensively investigated. METHODS: An anonymous survey about the interactions of chaplains with physicians was sent to chaplains at a single institution, with subsequent focus group discussions of responding chaplains to obtain additional qualitative data. RESULTS: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from over 20 chaplains. While chaplains indicated satisfaction regarding their access to physicians, they noted a disconnect between chaplains and physicians, physicians' unfamiliarity with the chaplain role, a sense that physicians do not always appreciate the chaplain role as significant or helpful, and structural barriers to the integration of chaplains into medical care teams. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides contemporary data on the nature of chaplain-physician interactions as reported from the perspective of chaplains. Further, these findings highlight opportunities for interventions to enhance the chaplain-physician relationship.
BACKGROUND: The value of healthcare chaplains to patient care is increasingly recognized. However, physicians' understandings of the role of pastoral care have been reported to be poor, which have raised concerns about the quality of chaplain-physician interactions and their impact on patient care. These interactions, particularly from the perspective of the chaplain, have not been extensively investigated. METHODS: An anonymous survey about the interactions of chaplains with physicians was sent to chaplains at a single institution, with subsequent focus group discussions of responding chaplains to obtain additional qualitative data. RESULTS: Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from over 20 chaplains. While chaplains indicated satisfaction regarding their access to physicians, they noted a disconnect between chaplains and physicians, physicians' unfamiliarity with the chaplain role, a sense that physicians do not always appreciate the chaplain role as significant or helpful, and structural barriers to the integration of chaplains into medical care teams. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides contemporary data on the nature of chaplain-physician interactions as reported from the perspective of chaplains. Further, these findings highlight opportunities for interventions to enhance the chaplain-physician relationship.
Entities:
Keywords:
chaplain; chaplain-physician interactions; pastoral care; patient spirituality; physician spirituality; spiritual distress; spirituality and health
Authors: Robert Klitzman; Jay Al-Hashimi; Gabrielle Di Sapia Natarelli; Elizaveta Garbuzova; Stephanie Sinnappan Journal: SSM Qual Res Health Date: 2022-04-15