Why do a spiritual assessment

Want to read more? Already subscribed? Try Nursing Standard Student Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Organisational access. Read this article via your institutional log in or pair token. The most basic thing a physician can do is to listen compassionately. Regardless of whether patients are devout in their spiritual traditions, their beliefs are important to them. By listening, physicians signal their care for their patients and recognition of this dimension of their lives.

Empathetic listening may be all the support a patient requires. Another way to incorporate the spiritual assessment is to document the patient's spiritual perspective, background, stated impact on medical care, and openness to discussing the topic.

Physicians may find this information helpful when readdressing the subject in the future or during times of crisis when sources of comfort and meaning become crucial. This documentation also helps meet hospital regulatory requirements for conducting a spiritual assessment.

An additional way to incorporate the assessment is to consider how different traditions and practices may affect standard medical practice. For instance, patients of the Jehovah's Witness tradition tend to refuse blood transfusion; believers in faith healing may delay traditional medical care in hopes of a miracle; and Muslim and Hindu women tend to decline sensitive and sometimes general examinations by male physicians. Patients with certain beliefs may experience substantial psychological duress if they believe a condition is caused by a lack of belief or transgressions on their part.

Physicians also need to consider how practices may influence acute or chronic health states. For example, many Muslims fast during Ramadan, which may affect glucose control and other physiologic factors in the ambulatory and inpatient settings. Persons of some faiths observe strict dietary codes, such as halal and kosher laws, which may require physicians to alter traditional nutrition counseling.

It is important to remember, however, that patients may not adhere to each specific belief or practice of their faith. Physicians should avoid making assumptions when asking patients how their particular practices may affect their medical care.

The spiritual assessment also allows patients to identify spiritual beliefs, practices, and resources that may positively impact their health. If so, does it have resources such as a home visitation program, a food pantry, or health screening? Finally, there may be some instances in which physician and patient faith traditions coincide.

In these cases, if the patient requests, the physician may consider offering faith-specific support. This may include patient-or physician-led prayer. Given the variety of spiritual practices followed in multicultural societies, it is best not to assume that a physician's spirituality mirrors that of his or her patients.

Prayer should not be a goal of a spiritual assessment, and physicians should not attempt to get patients to agree with them on specific faith issues. Assessing and integrating patient spirituality into the health care encounter can build trust and rapport, broadening the physician-patient relationship and increasing its effectiveness.

Practical outcomes may include improved adherence to physician-recommended lifestyle changes or compliance with therapeutic recommendations. Additionally, the assessment may help patients recognize spiritual or emotional challenges that are affecting their physical and mental health.

Addressing spiritual issues may let them tap into an effective source of healing or coping. For physicians, incorporating patient spirituality brings the potential for renewal, resiliency, and growth, even in difficult encounters. Sometimes physicians have few medical solutions for problems that cause suffering, such as incurable disease, chronic pain, grief, domestic violence, and broken relationships.

In these situations, providing comfort to patients can increase professional satisfaction and prevent burnout. Data Sources: A PubMed search was completed using the following keywords and medical subject headings MeSH : spirituality, faith, and religion. The search included randomized controlled trials, clinical trials, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and review articles.

Search dates: November through August We anticipate that readers along the broad spectrum of religious belief may have varying views on this topic. Some readers may think that spirituality is not an ethically appropriate area for family physicians to address, especially when the faith traditions of physicians and patients differ.

In addition, associations between religious beliefs and health outcomes are inconsistent. Add your comments below or tell us what you think at afpedit aafp.

Religion, spirituality, and their relevance to medicine: an update. Larimore WL. Providing basic spiritual care for patients: should it be the exclusive domain of pastoral professionals? Already a member or subscriber? Log in. Interested in AAFP membership? Learn more. Reprints are not available from the authors. The opinions and assertions contained herein are the private views of the authors and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the U.

Army Medical Department or the U. Army Service at large. Definition of spiritual. Merriam-Webster, Inc. Accessed September 28, Definition of religion Merriam-Webster, Inc. Gallup, Inc. Accessed March 28, King DE, Bushwick B.

Beliefs and attitudes of hospital inpatients about faith healing and prayer. J Fam Pract. Koenig HG. Religious attitudes and practices of hospitalized medically ill older adults.

Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. Unconventional medicine in the United States. Prevalence, costs, and patterns of use. N Engl J Med. Experiences and attitudes about faith healing among family physicians. Daaleman TP, Frey B. Spiritual and religious beliefs and practices of family physicians: a national survey. The Joint Commission. Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement. Assessment and management of chronic pain.

Bloomington, Minn. Pittsburgh, Pa. Patient preference for physician discussion and practice of spirituality. Community Is the person part of one or more, formal or informal, communities of shared belief, meaning in life, ritual or practice? What is the style of the person's participation in these communities? Authority and Guidance Where does the person find the authority for their beliefs, meaning in life, for their vocation, their rituals and practices?

When faced with doubt, confusion, tragedy or conflict where do they look for guidance? To what extent does the person look within or without for guidance?

Information taken from here. Have your beliefs influenced how you take care of yourself in this illness? What role do your beliefs play in regaining your health? Is this of support to you and how? Is there a group of people you really love or who are important to you? H — Sources of hope, meaning, comfort, strength, peace, love, and compassion: What is there in your life that gives you internal support? What are the sources of hope, strength, comfort, and peace? What do you hold on to during difficult times?

What sustains you and keeps you going? O — Organised religion: Do you consider yourself as part of an organized religion? How important is that for you? What aspects of your religion are helpful and not so helpful to you? Are you part of a religious or spiritual community? Does it help you? What are they? Do you believe in God? What kind of relationship do you have with God? What aspects of your spirituality or spiritual practices do you find most helpful to you personally?

E — Effects on medical care and end-of-life issues: Has being sick or your current situation affected your ability to do the things that usually help you spiritually? Or affected your relationship with God?

As a doctor, is there anything that I can do to help you access the resources that usually help you? Are there any specific practices or restrictions I should know about in providing your medical care? S — Spiritual belief system: Do you have a formal religious affiliation? Can you describe this? Do you have a spiritual life that is important to you? P — Personal spirituality: Describe the beliefs and practices of your religion that you personally accept.

Describe those beliefs and practices that you do not accept or follow. I — Integration with a spiritual community: Do you belong to any religious or spiritual groups or communities? What importance does this group have for you? What types of support and help does or could this group provide for you in dealing with health issues?

R — Ritualised practices and Restrictions: What specific practices do you carry out as part of your religious and spiritual life? What lifestyle activities or practices do your religion encourage, discourage or forbid? To what extent have you followed these guidelines? I — Implications for medical practice: Are there specific elements of medical care that your religion discourages or forbids?

Are there religious or spiritual practices or rituals that you would like to have available in the hospital or at home?

Are there religious or spiritual practices that you wish to plan for at the time of death, or following death? As we plan for your medical care near the end of life, in what ways will your religion and spirituality influence your decisions?

Do you consider yourself a person of Faith or a spiritual person? What things do you believe that give your life meaning and purpose? Is support for your faith Available to you?

Do you have Access to what you need to Apply your faith or your beliefs? Is there a person or a group whose presence and support you value at a time like this? Is your faith your beliefs helping you Cope? How is your faith your beliefs providing Comfort in light of your diagnosis? Do any of your religious beliefs or spiritual practices Conflict with medical treatment? Are there any particular Concerns you have for us as your medical team?

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