What do chaplains really do? II. Interventions in the New York Chaplaincy Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare
• Psychology
• Sociology

Background:

• Chaplaincy care is an integral part of holistic patient support in healthcare settings.
• Understanding the scope and nature of chaplain interventions is crucial for healthcare teams.
• Previous research has explored patient-provider interactions, but specific chaplaincy intervention patterns require detailed analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the types and patterns of chaplain interventions in a large cohort of patient and family visits.
• To examine how chaplain interventions vary by patient medical status and faith group.
• To underscore the role of chaplains within the interdisciplinary healthcare team.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 30,995 chaplain visit records from the New York Chaplaincy Study (1994-1996).
• Data collected from 13 healthcare institutions in the Greater New York City area.
• Categorization of 17 chaplain interventions into religious/spiritual and general types.

Main Results:

• Chaplains predominantly used religious/spiritual interventions, often combined with general interventions.
• Intervention patterns showed some variation based on patient medical status but were consistent across faith groups.
• A broad spectrum of patients, including non-religious individuals, expressed a desire for chaplaincy care.

Conclusions:

• Chaplains play a unique and essential role within the healthcare team, offering valuable support.
• The demand for chaplaincy services extends beyond religious individuals, indicating a universal need for spiritual and emotional care.
• Healthcare institutions should recognize and support the comprehensive role of chaplains in patient well-being.