Spirituality and Medical Practice: Using the HOPE Questions as a Practical Tool for Spirtual Assesment - American Family Physician

www.aafp.org/afp AMERICAN FAMILY PHYSICIAN 81 God. One study found that 94 percent of patients admitted to hospitals believe that spiritual health is as important as physical health, 77 percent believe that physicians should consider their patients’ spiritual needs as part of their medical care, and 37 percent want their physician to discuss their religious beliefs more. However, 80 percent reported that physicians never or rarely discuss spiritual or religious issues with them. One study of physicians and patients in an outpatient setting found that 91 percent of patients believe in God, compared with 64 percent of physicians. In this study, 40 percent of patients felt that physicians should discuss pertinent religious issues; however, only 11 percent of physicians frequently or always did. Another study has reported similar findings. A recent national survey of family physicians reports that the percentage of physicians who have spiritual beliefs is closer to that of the general population. The relationship between religious commitment and health outcomes has also been reviewed in detail. Although some disagree, most authors report that a positive relationship between religious commitment and mental and physical health was found in up to 84 percent of studies that included a measure of religious commitment as F amily medicine emphasizes medical care of the whole person, which includes an understanding of a patient’s family and environment, as well as the social, cultural and psychologic situation. Over the past several years, it has been suggested that spirituality is another important, yet often neglected, factor in the health of patients. Up to 77 percent of patients would like spiritual issues considered as part of their medical care, yet only 10 to 20 percent of physicians discuss these issues with their patients. Reports such as these have increased interest in the incorporation of spirituality into the practice of medicine. Nearly 50 medical schools currently offer courses in spirituality and medicine.