A Pilot Efficacy Trial to Educate Muslim Americans about the Islamic Bioethical Perspectives in End-of-Life Healthcare

The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of a pilot mosque-based educational workshop focused on increasing Muslim Americans ’ religious bioethics knowledge about end-of-life healthcare. Intervention sites were four mosques with racially and ethnically diverse members, two in the Chicago metropolitan area and two in the Washington, D.C. area. Eligible participants were self-reported Muslims, aged 18 years or older, who were proficient in English. The intervention included a pre and post-test survey and a workshop focused on the Islamic bioethical perspectives on EOLHC. Knowledge was measured with six true-false questions. Baseline and post-intervention scores were analyzed by McNemar’s test and bivariate correla tion. Overall, the analysis showed a significant improvement in post-intervention participant knowledge. There was increased knowledge of Islamic bioethical views on the moral status of seeking healthcare, brain death controversies, and religious perspectives on withholding or withdrawing life suppo rt near the end of life. Our pilot intervention successfully increased participant knowledge and underscores the need to improve the Muslim community’s knowledge about the bioethical dimensions of EOLHC.
Source: Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research