Health care needs more spirituality, experts say
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Increased attention to patients' spiritual needs would improve U.S. public health, researchers argue in a new Health Affairs article.
Why it matters: A growing body of scientific evidence shows that spiritual beliefs and practices positively affect health, but patients' spiritual needs are still under-addressed in clinical settings, a group of Harvard-affiliated researchers say.
- Spirituality isn't just about religion, but also how people seek meaning and purpose. Considering it a social determinant of health would allow for more personalized treatment and make the health system more accessible to groups that haven't always felt welcomed by it, they write.
State of play: Improving providers' spiritual and religious literacy would start to improve integration of spirituality into the health system.
- Other key strategies include strengthening relationships between local health departments and faith leaders and using health care dollars to pay for certain spiritual care services.
- One such effort already in the works: California Medicaid is working with ministerial groups, who help their congregation members access health services.
Already, most U.S. hospitals have chaplaincy programs, and Medicare's hospice benefit covers spiritual counseling. Health insurers are testing partnerships with faith-based organizations as a way to improve health access.
- "We're not starting from zero on these kinds of efforts," said Katelyn Long, the study's lead author. "If we're going to scale, there are wonderful places we can look."
Friction point: Some providers and left-leaning activists have become concerned about how the mix of religion and medicine can limit access to reproductive care.
- But allowing religion and spirituality to shape providers' understanding of a patient's experience can actually help improve care, Long said.
- "Asking the question if a person is spiritual or religious or if that's an important part of their life, can signal if this is ... part of attending to their care as a whole person," she said.
Zoom out: Americans are increasingly moving away from organized religion, but most still identify with a faith and many unaffiliated people consider themselves spiritual.
What we're watching: The American Medical Association's House of Delegates will vote next week on a resolution to encourage education for physicians about spiritual health.
- Part of the rationale for the proposal: providing better care for patients' spiritual health could help doctors provide more effective self-care, and in turn reduce doctor burnout.
