Exploring Patients' and Chaplains' Perspectives About a Spiritual Care Program in the Primary Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Research
• Qualitative Health Studies
• Patient Experience

Background:

• Spirituality significantly impacts health beliefs, decisions, and coping mechanisms.
• Limited research exists on spirituality's role in healthcare, particularly in primary care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore patient and chaplain experiences with spiritual care in primary care.
• To understand the impact of spiritual care on patient well-being and healthcare interactions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research using in-depth interviews.
• Participants included patients, a chaplain, and chaplains-in-training.
• Conventional qualitative content analysis of transcribed interviews.

Main Results:

• Spiritual care increased patient trust, safety, and satisfaction with providers.
• Patients reported improved coping with chronic illness and sustained healthy behavior change.
• Chaplains' respect for spirituality and creation of safe spaces were key factors.

Conclusions:

• Integrating spiritual care into primary care can improve trust, behavior change, and well-being.
• Spiritual care is vital for rebuilding patient trust in healthcare professionals.
• Addressing patients' spiritual needs supports healing and positive health outcomes.