Wednesday, 16 October 2019

Spiritual care at the end of life: does educational intervention focused on a broad definition of spirituality increase utilization of chaplain spiritual support in hospice?

Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2019 22(8) p.939-944
Soroka, Jacek T.; Collins, Lori A., et al

Despite the benefits of spiritual care, evidence shows that many patients and caregivers (P/C) refuse it when a hospice team offers it, possibly resulting in unnecessary suffering. The aim of this study was to better understand what contributes to spiritual support acceptance in hospice care. This research suggests that educational intervention that explains spiritual care in hospice and its benefits contributes importantly to greater acceptance and allows P/C to gain the benefits of spiritual support during end-of-life care.