Authors
- Megan Best1,
- Phyllis N Butow1,
- Ian Olver2
- University of Sydney1,
- Cancer Council Australia2
2014
Excerpt
Spirituality is a core domain for the quality of life of cancer patients. (1) Spiritual care is important for cancer patients but the role of the doctor in its provision is unclear. We undertook to understand the nature of spiritual support for Australian cancer patients and their preferences regarding spiritual care from doctors.
Using grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 cancer patients with advance disease in a variety of care settings. Patients were asked about the source of their spiritual support, and how they would like their doctors to engage with them on spiritual issues.
Four themes were identified: (i) sources of spiritual support, which helped the patient cope with illness, (ii) facilitators of spiritual support, ways by which access to spiritual supports was achieved, (iii) search for peace, the journey of the patient to come to terms w'ith approaching death, and (iv) the role of the doctor in spiritual care, the way patients wanted their doctors to communicate about spirituality. Regardless of religious background, the majority of patients wanted their doctor to ask about the source of spiritual support and to facilitate access to it. They wanted the doctor to take the initiative in these conversations. Patients did not want spiritual guidance from doctors but wanted to be treated holistically and to have a good relationship, featuring an empathic approach and time taken to know the patient through nonmedical dialogue. Doctors' understanding of the spiritual dimension of the patient was part of this. This allowed patients to feel sufficiently safe to discuss their fears. Doctors can facilitate acceptance of death by supplying clear and honest information about what patients could expect as they approached their death.
Spirituality is a universal phenomenon. Patients in a secular society want their doctor to take an interest in them and their spirituality and facilitate access to their spiritual support. Cancer patients with advanced disease would like their doctor to take the initiative to build strong relationships with their patients that incorporate honest communication regarding prognosis which allows them the opportunity to ask difficult questions and prepare for death. Patients do not want their doctor to give spiritual guidance. This should encourage doctors to embrace discussion of spirituality in order to improve quality of life of cancer patients.
(1) Whitford, H.S., l.N. Olver, and M.J. Peterson, Spirituality as a core domain in the assessment of quality of life in oncology. Psycho-Oncology, 2008. 17(11): p. 1121-1128.
Using grounded theory, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 cancer patients with advance disease in a variety of care settings. Patients were asked about the source of their spiritual support, and how they would like their doctors to engage with them on spiritual issues.
Four themes were identified: (i) sources of spiritual support, which helped the patient cope with illness, (ii) facilitators of spiritual support, ways by which access to spiritual supports was achieved, (iii) search for peace, the journey of the patient to come to terms w'ith approaching death, and (iv) the role of the doctor in spiritual care, the way patients wanted their doctors to communicate about spirituality. Regardless of religious background, the majority of patients wanted their doctor to ask about the source of spiritual support and to facilitate access to it. They wanted the doctor to take the initiative in these conversations. Patients did not want spiritual guidance from doctors but wanted to be treated holistically and to have a good relationship, featuring an empathic approach and time taken to know the patient through nonmedical dialogue. Doctors' understanding of the spiritual dimension of the patient was part of this. This allowed patients to feel sufficiently safe to discuss their fears. Doctors can facilitate acceptance of death by supplying clear and honest information about what patients could expect as they approached their death.
Spirituality is a universal phenomenon. Patients in a secular society want their doctor to take an interest in them and their spirituality and facilitate access to their spiritual support. Cancer patients with advanced disease would like their doctor to take the initiative to build strong relationships with their patients that incorporate honest communication regarding prognosis which allows them the opportunity to ask difficult questions and prepare for death. Patients do not want their doctor to give spiritual guidance. This should encourage doctors to embrace discussion of spirituality in order to improve quality of life of cancer patients.
(1) Whitford, H.S., l.N. Olver, and M.J. Peterson, Spirituality as a core domain in the assessment of quality of life in oncology. Psycho-Oncology, 2008. 17(11): p. 1121-1128.