Religion News Service
USA, August 29, 2003: When you visit a doctor for the first time, besides being asked about your health history, your doctor might ask you your religious beliefs as well. A number of physicians are taking patients “spiritual histories,” according to Dr. Harold G. Koenig of Duke University. He believes by doing so it can help patients rally spiritual resources to aid healing. “Neglecting a patients spiritual dimension results in failure to treat the ‘whole person,'” Koenig said. He described this technique in a manual for health care professionals, “Spirituality in Patients Care.” A spiritual history might include questions like: Does the patient rely on religion or spirituality to help cope with illness? Is the patient a member of a supportive spiritual community? What spiritual questions does the patient find most troubling? Dr. Robert Fine, director of clinical ethics at Baylor Healthcare Systems in Dallas, cited an example of a patient who insisted on aggressive treatment, even though her advanced breast cancer was clearly terminal. Fine learned that fear of going to hell kept her from accepting the inevitable. After a conversation with a chaplain, she was able to face death peacefully. Not everyone agrees with the notion of physicians delving into the spiritual. Some worry that doctors aren’t equipped to navigate the gray areas between faith and medicine. Dr. Jeffery P. Bishop, from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center says that the ends of spirituality and medicine don’t always agree — such as the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who refuse blood transfusions even in life-threatening situations. Koenig believes using spiritual intervention might bring comfort to with patients facing surgery or life-threatening, chronic or disabling conditions. Koenig cited a study suggesting that patients struggling with spiritual crises tend not to heal as well. “Sometimes just listening and validating will give comfort and will make the patient more likely to accept a referral to a chaplain who can help,” he said.