Integrating Spirituality as a Key Component of Patient Care
Suzette Brémault-Phillips,
Joanne Olson,
Pamela Brett-MacLean,
Doreen Oneschuk,
Shane Sinclair,
Ralph Magnus,
Jeanne Weis,
Marjan Abbasi,
Jasneet Parmar,
Christina M. Puchalski
Affiliations
Suzette Brémault-Phillips
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, 2-64 Corbett Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2G4, Canada
Joanne Olson
Faculty of Nursing, 4-299 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA), University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Pamela Brett-MacLean
Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine (Undergraduate Medical Education Program), Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, 1-001 Katz Group Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2E1, Canada
Doreen Oneschuk
Division of Palliative Medicine, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6L 5X8, Canada
Shane Sinclair
Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada
Ralph Magnus
Spiritual Care, Covenant Health, Edmonton AB T6L 5X8, Canada
Jeanne Weis
Faculty of Health and Community Studies, NorQuest College, Edmonton AB T5J 1L6, Canada
Marjan Abbasi
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2C8, Canada
Jasneet Parmar
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton AB T6G 2C8, Canada
Christina M. Puchalski
The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20036, USA
Patient care frequently focuses on physical aspects of disease management, with variable attention given to spiritual needs. And yet, patients indicate that spiritual suffering adds to distress associated with illness. Spirituality, broadly defined as that which gives meaning and purpose to a person’s life and connectedness to the significant or sacred, often becomes a central issue for patients. Growing evidence demonstrates that spirituality is important in patient care. Yet healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not always feel prepared to engage with patients about spiritual issues. In this project, HCPs attended an educational session focused on using the FICA Spiritual History Tool to integrate spirituality into patient care. Later, they incorporated the tool when caring for patients participating in the study. This research (1) explored the value of including spiritual history taking in clinical practice; (2) identified facilitators and barriers to incorporating spirituality into person-centred care; and (3) determined ways in which HCPs can effectively utilize spiritual history taking. Data were collected using focus groups and chart reviews. Findings indicate positive impacts at organizational, clinical/unit, professional/personal and patient levels when HCPs include spirituality in patient care. Recommendations are offered.