Integrating Meaning, Purpose, and Spirituality (MPS) Within Lifestyle Medicine Education and Training: Core...

Spirituality is a vital, yet sometimes misunderstood component of whole-person care. A growing body of evidence links meaning, purpose, and spirituality (MPS) with improved health outcomes, greater patient satisfaction, and enhanced clinician well-being. In 2024, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted Resolution 304 (A-24), advocating for the integration of MPS education throughout medical training and continuing education. Despite previous consensus statements and competencies from other professional organizations and accrediting bodies, such as the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), MPS-related competencies remain inconsistently embedded within health professions education, including within lifestyle medicine (LM).

To examine competencies, consensus statements and current evidence for spiritual care across various disciplines in order to discern common elements to support the establishment of MPS competencies within lifestyle medicine education and training.

The competencies reviewed frame person-centered care through an expanded lens of the human person as biopsychosocial-spiritual. Across disciplines, 5 common categories of competencies emerged, which include: (1) An understanding of whole-person care and broad definitions of spirituality and religion; (2) clinician spiritual self-awareness and self-care, including exploration of potential biases and barriers to patient-centered care; (3) ethical practice, cultural sensitivity, and respect for diversity, including not imposing one's own personal beliefs (or lack thereof) on the patient; (4) spiritual assessment, communication and care planning skills in patient interactions, including team-based collaboration and referral to spiritual care professionals; (5) clinician therapeutic skills, including compassionate presence, active listening, sensitive communication, motivational interviewing and shared decision-making.

Incorporating MPS competencies within LM education aligns with the updated pillar of connectedness, recognizing spirituality as a core driver of lifestyle behavior change. Embedding MPS competencies across the continuum of health professions education represents a timely, evidence-based, and ethically grounded step toward delivering more compassionate, sustainable, and impactful person-centered care.