Is religious devotion relevant to the doctor-patient relationship?

As I walked toward the elevators at the end of a long call night, I saw a patient sitting on the edge of her bed, staring blankly into the hall. Like many on the oncology floor, she had lost her hair. I waved at her. She nodded. I took a few steps into her room. I introduced myself; she told me her name— Julie. I asked Julie how she was feeling. “I’m trying to make a decision,” she said, choking back emotion. She explained she was trying to decide whether to allow placement of a permanent chest tube to drain her recurrent pleural effusion. “I don’t know if I can take it any more,” Julie said. “I’ve been through too much.” She knew she was dying and was reluctant to endure another painful procedure. As a medical student, I could not offer her advice. But I hoped my presence would be a comfort. We talked about her life, her work, her interests, and her family (she was alone in the city). As we talked, she reminisced, joked, and cried about the experiences that had enriched her life. On my way out, I told her that I would be praying for her—and she broke into tears. “Can you pray with me?” she asked.