Is there a role for prayer and spirituality in health care?

While most people will turn to prayer during serious illness or impending death, our healthcare system has tended to relegate prayer and spirituality to the periphery of medical care, if it is tolerated at all. Despite recent research that seemingly demonstrates a relationship between prayerful practices and health benefits, the integration of spirituality into the practice of medicine remains elusive. The research that purports to demonstrate the link between prayer and health is examined in an exploration of the place prayer and spirituality might have in the health care system.