Patient Perceptions About the Role of Religion and Spirituality During Cancer Care

AbstractWe sought to assess the perspectives of cancer patients relative to their spiritual well-being, as well as examine the impact of religion/spirituality during cancer care. A mixed-methods concurrent embedded online survey design was used. While 86% of participants indicated a religious/spiritual belief, respondents  also reported lower overall spiritual well-being than population norms (t(73)  = − 5.30,p  <  0.01). Open-ended responses revealed that 22% of participants desired the healthcare team to address the topic of religion/spirituality, but the majority preferred to discuss with a family member or friend (48%). Religion/spirituality might play a central role for a subset of patients across the cancer journey.
Source: Journal of Religion and Health - Category: Medical Ethics Source Type: research