Chaplain-Physician Interactions From the Chaplain's Perspective: A Mixed Method Analysis.
Am J Hosp Palliat Care 2020;
38:1308-1313. [PMID:
33375815 DOI:
10.1177/1049909120984390]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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.
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