Current status of teaching on spirituality in UK medical schools
Abstract
Objective To investigate the current status of teaching on spirituality in medicine in UK medical schools and to establish if and how medical schools are preparing future doctors to identify patients’ spiritual needs. Methods We carried out a national questionnaire survey using a 2‐part questionnaire. Section A contained questions relating to the quantity of teaching on spirituality and the topics covered. Section B contained questions relating to teaching on alternative health practices. Medical educators from each of the 32 medical schools in the UK were invited to participate. Results A response rate of 53% ( n = 17) was achieved. A total of 59% ( n = 10) of respondents stated that there is teaching on spirituality in medicine in their curricula. On extrapolation, at least 31% and a maximum of 78% of UK medical schools currently provide some form of teaching on spirituality. Of the respondents that teach spirituality, 50% ( n = 5) stated that their schools include compulsory teaching on spirituality in medicine, 80% ( n = 8) include optional components, and 88% stated that teaching on complementary and alternative medicine is included in the curriculum. Conclusions Although 59% ( n = 10) of respondent medical schools (the actual UK figure lies between 31% and 78%) currently provide some form of teaching on spirituality, there is significant room for improvement. There is little uniformity between medical schools with regard to content, form, amount or type of staff member delivering the teaching. It would be beneficial to introduce a standardised curriculum on spirituality across all UK medical schools.
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R/S beliefs influence medical decisions among those with serious medical illness and especially among those with advanced cancer or HIV/AIDS.
“Studies have shown that R/S beliefs influence medical decisions among those with serious medical illness [584, 585] and especially among those with advanced cancer [586] or HIV/AIDs [587].”
From Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications (2012) · cites this paper as [587]
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Religion, Spirituality, and Health: The Research and Clinical Implications
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“Today, nearly 90% of medical schools (and many nursing schools) in the US include something about R/S in their curricula [596] and this is also true to a lesser extent in the United Kingdom [597] and Brazil [598].”
BackgroundSpirituality in Medical School Curricula: Findings from a National Survey
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Medical students, spirituality and religiosity-results from the multicenter study SBRAME
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Spirituality and health in the curricula of medical schools in Brazil
Lucchetti, G., Lucchetti, A. L. G., Espinha, D. C. M., de Oliveira, L. R., Leite, J. R., & Koenig, H. G. (2012) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/1472-6920-12-78 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
- Authors
- Neely, D., & Minford, E. J.
- Affiliations
- Queen's University Belfast (GB)
- Northern Health and Social Care Trust (GB)
- ORCID
- Minford, Eunice J
- Venue
- Medical Education
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2008-01-22
- Volume
- 42
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 176-182
- ISSN
- 0308-0110 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2923
- OpenAlex
- W1517897530
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 6.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Medical Education (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Innovations in Medical Education
- Social Sciences › Demography › Workplace Spirituality and Leadership
- Keywords
- spirituality in medicine, medical curriculum, medical schools, spiritual needs of patients, complementary and alternative medicine, UK medical schools
- MeSH terms
- Attitude of Health Personnel, Curriculum, Education, Medical, Undergraduate, United Kingdom, Humans, Surveys and Questionnaires, Religion, Schools, Medical, Teaching, United States, Spirituality
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