Time to Develop Guidelines for Spiritual Care in Serious Illness

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care
• Integrative Medicine
• Healthcare Policy

Background:

• A 2022 JAMA systematic review of 342 studies emphasized spiritual care for serious illness.
• Recommendations exist for addressing spiritual needs, but clinical guidelines are lacking.
• Current practice lacks standardized approaches for integrating spiritual care into serious illness management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the development of actionable clinical guidelines for spiritual care in serious illness.
• To outline key priorities for a multi-disciplinary workgroup focused on spiritual care integration.
• To facilitate the routine provision of spiritual care for patients and families facing serious illness.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of 342 high-quality studies (as per JAMA review).
• Proposal for a multi-disciplinary workgroup to generate clinical guidelines.
• Identification of three priority areas for guideline development.

Main Results:

• Evidence supports spiritual care as a routine component of serious illness management.
• A critical gap exists in clinical guidelines for implementing spiritual care.
• Proposed priorities include needs assessment, chaplain integration, and communication strategies.

Conclusions:

• Developing specific guidelines for spiritual care in serious illness is an imperative next step.
• Guidelines will enhance the delivery of high-quality, person- and family-centered care.
• Standardized spiritual care integration is crucial for holistic patient support.