Patients’ and Loved Ones’ Expectations of Chaplain Services

Abstract

A study assessing the expectations patients and loved ones have of hospital chaplains was conducted at Ascension St. Vincent Indiana hospitals. In-person interviews were conducted with 452 patients and loved ones during an inpatient stay. The survey instrument was a modified version of a survey developed by Dr. Katherine Piderman of the Mayo Clinic. Participants answered questions regarding demographics, awareness of availability, expectations of visits, reasons for wanting to see a chaplain and gave feedback regarding visits if they had seen a chaplain. Results showed that patients and loved ones value chaplains with 93% saying they wanted a chaplain visit. This study was unique in seeking feedback from loved ones as well as patients. It may be equally important to reach out to loved ones during times of crisis when patients themselves are in surgery or sedated and loved ones are experiencing heightened anxiety.

Feasibility and acceptability of chaplain decision coaching on Periviable resuscitation decision quality: A pilot study

“…Furthermore, the role of chaplains in medical decision-making has gained additional visibility in recent years [ 41 ]. Most of these publications described chaplains' in-hospital role in family conferences or with palliative care teams but have not addressed periviable delivery contexts other than stillbirths [ 26 , [42] , [43] , [44] , [45] ]. Utilizing chaplain decision coaches with patients at risk of periviable delivery expands chaplains' skills to a population whose spiritual care needs were previously underserved by chaplains.…”

Spiritual Care Assessment and Intervention (SCAI) for Adult Outpatients With Advanced Cancer and Caregivers: A Pilot Trial to Assess Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Effects

“…This is in contrast to the delivery location of many spiritual care visits in the inpatient setting. 30,31 However, spiritual care by phone is becoming increasingly acceptable in chaplaincy practice—especially given recent experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic. 17,20,32,33 Spiritual care delivered by phone has notable benefits similar to virtual visits for clinical care: the care recipient is able to engage with a chaplain in a meaningful way without having to travel long distances, arrange childcare, or take extended time off from work, thus removing some barriers associated with healthcare access.…”

Healthcare Chaplaincy for Geriatric Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study into the Outcomes of Catholic Chaplaincy Interventions in Belgium

“…They can support older adults in the search for meaning in life, reconciliation with (past) life, experiencing peace and hope, coping with death, and in reflecting on and deepening the role of spirituality in one’s life (Prause et al, 2020 ; Timmins et al, 2018 ; Visser et al, 2023 ; Wells et al, 2021 ). Recent research has shown that patients feel satisfied when they receive chaplaincy care and that their spiritual needs are met (Kirchoff et al, 2021 ; Marin et al, 2015 ; Muehlhausen et al, 2022 ; Tan et al, 2020 ). Also, patients highly appreciate the chaplain's presence, trusting relationship, attentive listening, and familiarity (McCormick & Hildebrand, 2015 ; Sailus, 2017 ).…”