Resources on Patient Care

"Spirituality is essential to healthcare. Why? Illness, life stress, and loss can trigger profound spiritual questions in people's lives that address the very core of one's humanity: who am I and why am I here on earth? These questions can provoke deep crisis in people and, if these questions are not addressed, people can become hopeless and full of despair... Physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals have a tremendous potential to impact the lives of patients by attending to patients' spiritual needs and issues. By being present to patients in the midst of those 'why' questions, we can help people move from despair to hope and from isolation to love... People need skilled medical and technical care that comes from a framework of patient-centered medicine, where the patients' beliefs and values are as integral to their care as their physical and emotional symptoms. And, even if a cure is not possible, there can always be an opportunity for healing, which can best occur in the context of love and compassion for one another."

—From Christina M. Puchalski's foreword to What Do I Say? Talking with Patients about Spirituality By Elizabeth Johnson Taylor

Questions

• What are some concrete methods that health care providers could employ in order to also provide spiritual care to their patients?

• When might religion or religious practices interfere with the health of a patient?

• What practical, ethical, or emotional considerations should a health care professional keep in mind before engaging in religious practices with his/her patients?

• Do patients want clinicians to address their spiritual concerns?