What do chaplains really do? III. Referrals in the New York Chaplaincy Study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare research
• Clinical chaplaincy studies
• Patient referral patterns

Background:

• Chaplaincy services are integral to holistic patient care.
• Understanding referral patterns is crucial for optimizing spiritual care delivery.
• The New York Chaplaincy Study provides a historical dataset on healthcare referrals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze referral patterns to chaplains within healthcare institutions.
• To identify the primary sources and reasons for patient referrals to chaplains.
• To examine variations in referral patterns based on hospital setting and referral source.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 1994-1996 New York Chaplaincy Study data.
• Inclusion of 7,094 referral records from thirteen healthcare institutions.
• Categorization of referral reasons including emotional, spiritual, medical, and support needs.

Main Results:

• Nurses (27.8%) and patients (22.3%) were the most common referral sources.
• Emotional issues (30.0%) were more frequent referral reasons than spiritual issues (19.9%).
• Referral patterns varied by hospital setting and the source of the referral.

Conclusions:

• There is a need to clarify the chaplain's role within the interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Recognizing spiritual causes of emotional distress is essential for comprehensive care.
• Establishing effective referral protocols can enhance patient access to chaplaincy services.