Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2025
Acupoint Application Combined with Acupressure as an Adjunctive Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
Published on: June 21, 2024
Utilization and perceptions of chaplaincy among hospitalized adults of Dharmic religions with cancer
Rushil V Patel1,2,3, Jill M Bowden1,4, Danielle Boselli5
1Department of Medicine, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA.
Background:
Spiritual care provided by chaplains plays a key role in cancer care in the United States, yet little is known about chaplaincy utilization among people of Dharmic religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism) with cancer.
Methods:
This multi-methods study reviewed the records of patients (aged 18 years and older) who were hospitalized at a dedicated cancer hospital (2015-2019) and conducted interviews with chaplains and adults of Dharmic religions (2020). Primary outcomes included measuring chaplaincy utilization (at least one chaplain visit) across different religions and identifying perceptions of chaplaincy. Secondary outcomes involved measuring unmet spiritual needs on admission, types of spiritual care needs, and variables associated with chaplaincy utilization.
Results:
Of 54,828 patients, 2% were of Dharmic religions (n = 1163; 58.4% Hindu, 33.2% Buddhist, 4.8% Sikh, 3.4% multiple, <1% Jain). Compared with others, those of Dharmic religions were younger (median age, 59 vs. 63 years; p < .001), predominantly East or South Asian (78.7% vs. 5.6%; p < .001), and had higher rates of advanced illness (22.6% vs. 15.2%; p < .001) but lower chaplaincy utilization (31.6% vs. 36.7%; p < .001). There were no significant differences in unmet spiritual needs on admission (Dharmic religions vs. others, 8.7% vs. 9.4%; p = .41). Ritual care was the most frequently documented spiritual care need (72%). Multivariable analysis indicated that longer length of stay, non-Dharmic religion, and advanced illness were associated with higher chaplaincy utilization. Themes identified from the interviews included unfamiliarity with chaplaincy, concerns about faith-discordant care, addressing spiritual care needs independently, and solutions for concordant care.
Conclusions:
People of Dharmic religions with cancer were less likely to use chaplaincy services. Barriers included unfamiliarity and faith discordance. Spiritual care incorporating faith-specific resources is urgently needed.
More Related Videos
11:12Modulation of the Neurophysiological Response to Fearful and Stressful Stimuli Through Repetitive Religious Chanting
Published on: November 4, 2021
06:28E-Patient Counseling Trial E-PACO: Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
Published on: August 1, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:27Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
01:25Continuing Care
01:27Ethical Issues
Ethical Concerns in Healthcare:
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
01:15Techniques of therapeutic communication I: Active Listening, Sharing Observations, Validation, and Using Touch
Therapeutic communication is not the same as social interaction. Social interaction has no goal or purpose and consists of casual information sharing, whereas therapeutic communication has a plan or purpose for the conversation. Therapeutic...
01:21Barriers to Effective Communication II
Cultural barriers:
Differences in values, beliefs, religion, knowledge, and tradition can significantly impact communication. Awareness of nonverbal cues is critical, especially when conversing with a patient from a different culture. What appears appropriate in one culture may be inappropriate in another.
Semantic barriers:
As a result of their tendency to use...