The DOI matches its Crossref record; 10 of the 10 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Doctors discussing religion and spirituality: A systematic literature review
Abstract
Background Discussion of religion and/or spirituality in the medical consultation is desired by patients and known to be beneficial. However, it is infrequent. We aimed to identify why this is so. Aim We set out to answer the following research questions: Do doctors report that they ask their patients about religion and/or spirituality and how do they do it? According to doctors, how often do patients raise the issue of religion and/or spirituality in consultation and how do doctors respond when they do? What are the known facilitators and barriers to doctors asking their patients about religion and/or spirituality? Design A mixed qualitative/quantitative review was conducted to identify studies exploring the physician's perspective on discussion of religion and/or spirituality in the medical consultation. Data sources We searched nine databases from inception to January 2015 for original research papers reporting doctors' views on discussion of religion and/or spirituality in medical consultations. Papers were assessed for quality using QualSyst and results were reported using a measurement tool to assess systematic review guidelines. Results Overall, 61 eligible papers were identified, comprising over 20,044 physician reports. Religion and spirituality are discussed infrequently by physicians although frequency increases with terminal illness. Many physicians prefer chaplain referral to discussing religion and/or spirituality with patients themselves. Such discussions are f…
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Although several instruments were mentioned, there was little evidence that standardized tools were widely used.”
In the citing paper
“A systematic review found that patients were more likely to spontaneously raise R/S issues only when they disagree with medical recommendations.33”
In the citing paper
“A systematic review of more than 20,000 medical reports found that R/S was rarely addressed in health care consultations.33”
In the citing paper
“Spiritual discussions occurred more frequently with psychiatrists, palliative care, and primary care physicians than with other medical specialties.”
In the citing paper
“The most frequently reported topics of discussion included encouraging patients in their own R/S beliefs, inquiring how faith influenced health care decisions, and concerns about death and dying.”
In the citing paper
“Those who regularly took a SH preferred their own standard questions phrased in their own words.”
In the citing paper
“Discussion of R/S was more likely in contexts of family crisis, medical emergencies, or end-of-life.”
In the citing paper
“SH-taking was reported by 16-34% of physicians (median 32%), with a higher frequency among psychiatrists (48-78%, median: 50%).”
In the citing paper
“The most commonly reported obstacles included a lack of time, insufficient knowledge or training, concerns about ethical boundaries, cultural differences between patients and doctors, worries about colleague disapproval and, for a minority of doctors, the belief that R/S could have a negative effect on patient outcomes.”
In the citing paper
“Doctors with stronger R/S beliefs were more likely to address R/S in a medical consultation, but prior training in discussing R/S in clinical settings was the strongest predictor of spiritual care discussions.33”
Citations
Cites
Methods for the thematic synthesis of qualitative research in systematic reviews
Thomas, J., & Harden, A. (2008) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-45 · Cited by 9,312
Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses
Falagas, M. E., Pitsouni, E. I., Malietzis, G. A., & Pappas, G. (2008) · The FASEB Journal · doi:10.1096/fj.07-9492lsf · Cited by 5,039
Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Evaluating Primary Research Papers from a Variety of Fields
Kmet, L. M., Cook, L. S., & Lee, R. C. (2004) · University of Alberta Library · doi:10.7939/r37m04f16 · Cited by 1,682
External Validation of a Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR)
Shea, B. J., Bouter, L. M., Peterson, J., Boers, M., Andersson, N., Ortiz, Z., Ramsay, T., Bai, A., Shukla, V. K., & Grimshaw, J. M. (2007) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001350 · Cited by 569
Balboni, M. J., Sullivan, A., Amobi, A., Phelps, A. C., Gorman, D. P., Zollfrank, A., Peteet, J. R., Prigerson, H. G., VanderWeele, T. J., & Balboni, T. A. (2013) · Journal of Clinical Oncology · doi:10.1200/jco.2012.44.6443 · Cited by 457
Do patients want doctors to talk about spirituality? A systematic literature review
Best, M., Butow, P., & Olver, I. (2015) · Patient Education and Counseling · doi:10.1016/j.pec.2015.04.017 · Cited by 279
Curlin, F. A., Lawrence, R. E., Odell, S., Chin, M. H., Lantos, J. D., Koenig, H. G., & Meador, K. G. (2007) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.06122088 · Cited by 213
Kristeller, J. L., Rhodes, M., Cripe, L. D., & Sheets, V. (2005) · The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine · doi:10.2190/8ae4-f01c-60m0-85c8 · Cited by 177
The Relationship Between Psychiatry and Religion Among U.S. Physicians
Curlin, F. A., Odell, S. V., Lawrence, R. E., Chin, M. H., Lantos, J. D., Meador, K. G., & Koenig, H. G. (2007) · Psychiatric Services · doi:10.1176/ps.2007.58.9.1193 · Cited by 133
Spirituality and psychiatry in Canada: psychiatric practice compared with patient expectations
Baetz, M., Griffin, R., Bowen, R., & Marcoux, G. (2004) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674370404900407 · Cited by 90
Research works printed but not linked: 94
- 10.1089/jpm.2009.0142 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1111/nuf.12128 · DOI
- Koenig H, 2012, Handbook of religion and health
- 10.1046/j.1365-2648.2003.02768.x · DOI
- 10.1111/j.1440-172x.2004.00491.x · DOI
- 10.1007/s10943-012-9575-z · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.09.017 · DOI
- 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000146486.69217.EE · DOI
- 10.1017/S1478951504040490 · DOI
- 10.1177/104990910302000212 · DOI
- 10.1007/s00520-013-2091-1 · DOI
- 10.1177/1049732312438969 · DOI
- 10.1080/13557858.2010.523780 · DOI
- 10.1200/JCO.2009.24.8005 · DOI
- 10.1016/S1549-3741(03)29078-X · DOI
- 10.1089/jpm.2008.0008 · DOI
- Ellis MR, 1999, J Fam Pract, 48, 105
- 10.3163/1536-5050.95.4.442 · DOI · Paper page
- Epstein-Peterson ZD, 2014, Am J Hosp Palliat Care
- 10.1097/00007611-200194040-00003 · DOI
- 10.1002/pon.1579 · DOI
- Maugans TA, 1991, J Fam Pract, 32, 210
- 10.1007/s10943-012-9567-z · DOI
- 10.1007/BF01788839 · DOI
- Craigie FCJ, 1999, Fam Med, 31, 578
- 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000054222.15226.4D · DOI
- 10.1017/S1478951508000205 · DOI
- Wilson K, 2000, J Miss State Med Assoc, 41, 817
- 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2004.01.013 · DOI
- 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1611(199909/10)8:5<451::AID-PON422>3.0.CO;2-3 · DOI
- Murray SA, 2003, Br J Gen Pract, 53, 957
- 10.1093/fampra/17.3.230 · DOI
- 10.1177/0269216308102043 · DOI
- 10.1001/archinte.163.22.2751 · DOI
- 10.1097/IGC.0b013e31820ba507 · DOI
- 10.1177/0269216307079063 · DOI
- 10.1097/00005053-200208000-00012 · DOI
- 10.1176/ps.62.1.pss6201_0079 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1097/01.mlr.0000207434.12450.ef · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1001/archfami.9.9.822 · DOI
- 10.1097/00001888-200506000-00011 · DOI
- Goel NK, 2008, Internet J Health, 7, 11
- Ellis MR, 2002, J Fam Pract, 51, 249
- 10.1007/s10943-006-9020-2 · DOI
- 10.1097/00007611-199512000-00012 · DOI
- 10.3109/0142159X.2011.588976 · DOI
- Koenig HG, 1989, J Fam Pract, 28, 441
- 10.1089/jpm.2010.0312 · DOI
- 10.1089/jpm.2013.0388 · DOI
- 10.1200/JCO.2011.40.3766 · DOI
- 10.1007/s10943-004-1144-7 · DOI
- 10.3399/bjgp12X656865 · DOI
- Meldrum H, 2011, Integr Med: Clin J, 10, 26
- 10.1200/JCO.2011.34.9498 · DOI
- 10.1177/104990910602300105 · DOI
- 10.1007/BF03341441 · DOI
- McKee D, 1990, J Fam Pract, 30, 65
- 10.1007/s10943-010-9452-6 · DOI
- 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000163299.94352.A8 · DOI
- 10.1207/S15327027HC1601_5 · DOI
- 10.1001/jama.2009.341 · DOI
- 10.1001/jama.284.19.2476 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.pec.2009.10.018 · DOI
- 10.1080/1367467032000157990 · DOI
- 10.1089/jpm.2011.0168 · DOI
- 10.1017/S1478951510000271 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2010.07.008 · DOI
- 10.1007/s10943-011-9509-1 · DOI
- 10.1089/jpm.2009.0038 · DOI
- 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00931.x · DOI
- 10.1007/s00520-013-1863-y · DOI
- 10.1097/00001888-200206000-00017 · DOI
- 10.1177/104990910402100607 · DOI
- 10.1007/s10943-005-2772-2 · DOI
- 10.1176/appi.ap.33.6.451 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2013.09.020 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2009.03.011 · DOI
- 10.1002/pon.1066 · DOI
- 10.1016/j.ejca.2008.09.029 · DOI
- 10.1177/026921639601000302 · DOI
- 10.1097/SPC.0b013e3283530d13 · DOI
- 10.1007/s10943-013-9716-z · DOI
- Foster DW, 1982, Health/medicine and the faith traditions, 245
- 10.1080/15265160701399545 · DOI
- Rumbold BD, 2002, Spirituality and palliative care: social and pastoral perspectives
- 10.1370/afm.883 · DOI
- 10.1097/00130404-200609000-00009 · DOI
- Best M, 2015, Palliative and Supportive Care
- 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1999.00963.x · DOI
- 10.1089/jpm.2015.1026 · DOI
- 10.3390/rel5041161 · DOI
- 10.1002/cncr.26221 · DOI · Paper page
- 10.1097/00005053-199809000-00001 · DOI
- 10.1191/0269216304pm936oa · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 101–178 of 178
Spirituality in oncology - a consensus by the Brazilian Society of Clinical Oncology
Toloi, D. A., Landeiro, L. C. G., Gadia, R., Chaves, C. D. L. G., Forte, D. N., Castilho, R. K., Garcia, J. B. S., de Andrade, C. J. C., Gauí, M. D. F. D., Mathias-Machado, M. C., et al. (2022) · Brazilian Journal of Oncology · doi:10.5935/2526-8732.20220352 · Cited by 6
“[92] The process of professional development, including the recognition of vulnerabilities and the recording of uncertainties regarding suffering, makes it possible to sustain the dynamic construction of care practice.”
Amiri, S., Vasli, P., Mohtashami, J., & Memaryan, N. (2021) · Iranian Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.5812/ijpbs.115702 · Cited by 6
Cipriano-Steffens, T. M., Cursio, J. F., Hlubocky, F., Sumner, M., Garnigan-Peters, D., Powell, J., Arndt, N., Phillips, L., Lassiter, H., Gilliam, M., et al. (2021) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/1049909121995413 · Cited by 6
“While physicians and other healthcare professionals recognize the importance of R/S for their patients they often do not inquire about patients’ R/S in part due to lack of training and concern about the time required to do so.(25,26) Chaplains are universally looked to as the spiritual care specialists on healthcare t…”
BackgroundA Call for Health Care Providers to Address Faith Religiosity, and Spirituality among Older Adults
Abu, H. (2025) · American Journal of Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2025.05.048 · Cited by 5
Malviya, S., & Greenham, J. (2025) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02214-1 · Cited by 5
“This ambiguity is further compounded by a general lack of knowledge and confidence among mental health clinicians in assessing and intervening on spiritual aspects of care (Best et al., 2016; Jones et al., 2021a; Ledger & Bowler, 2013; Malviya et al., 2022c; So et al., 2023).”
López-Tarrida, Á. C., Suárez-Reina, P., & de Diego‐Cordero, R. (2024) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13010035 · Cited by 9
Schmitz, F., Buzzi, A.-L., Brem, B. G., Schnabel, K., Berger-Estilita, J., Roten, F.-M., Peng-Keller, S., & Guttormsen, S. (2024) · BMC Medical Education · doi:10.1186/s12909-024-06142-2 · Cited by 5
“Another reason is that professionals are uncertain about how to perform this task [18]; they perceive a lack of communication skills to address spiritual aspects adequately and, therefore, avoid raising them [19].”
BackgroundRudenstrand, H., & Bäärnhielm, S. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-05677-4 · Cited by 6
“Despite the fact most physicians, including psychiatrists, agree on the importance of, and need to, assimilate R/S into clinical work, investigation of the religious/spiritual aspects of patients is rare [39, 40].”
BackgroundBorges, L. M., Malagris, L., & de Freitas, M. H. (2022) · International Journal of Latin American Religions · doi:10.1007/s41603-022-00177-3 · Cited by 5
“A series of factors has been identified as barriers that could make it difficult for professionals to address religion and spirituality variables in their treatments: a perception that they are straying beyond their remit as healthcare professionals and a reluctance to deviate from the scientific demands of their prof…”
BackgroundSelf and suffering in Indian thought: implications for clinicians
Singh, S. (2022) · BJ Psych Advances · doi:10.1192/bja.2022.1 · Cited by 5
Kunsmann-Leutiger, E., Straßner, C., Schalhorn, F., Stolz, R., Stotz-Ingenlath, G., Buhlinger-Göpfarth, N., Bentner, M., Joos, S., Valentini, J., & Frick, E. (2021) · Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare · doi:10.2147/jmdh.s312778 · Cited by 5
What is the point of spirituality?
Martin, J., & George, R. (2016) · Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1177/0269216316631931 · Cited by 5
Adley, M., Thompson, A., Mordue, P., O'Donnell, A., Hanratty, B., & Whitehead, I. O. (2025) · BMC Primary Care · doi:10.1186/s12875-025-02979-8 · Cited by 4
“Aligned with the literature [57], social prescribers in the current study felt that the topic of religion was not to be discussed within their role in primary healthcare.”
Liu, T.-T., Kuo, L.-C., & Liao, S.-J. (2025) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-025-06286-w · Cited by 4
“Furthermore, non-Christian patients may perceive a lack of spiritual support or cultural resonance in biomedical hospital environments, leading to lower satisfaction with age-friendly care [55].”
Medical Students’ Reflections on Their Experiences in a Trauma Chaplain Shadowing Program
Suda, S., Burkbauer, L., White, B., Browning, J., & Delisser, H. (2023) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/10499091221149192 · Cited by 4
Dalton, L. J., McNiven, A., Hanna, J., & Rapa, E. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0278124 · Cited by 4
“This is similar to the literature surrounding HCPs’ beliefs and behaviours about talking with patients regarding spiritual and religious beliefs in clinical settings [18], despite the evidence that these conversations would be welcomed and beneficial to patients [19].”
ResultLucchetti, G., Gonçalves, L. M., Ferreira, A. G. D. C., Daher, J. C., & Lucchetti, A. L. G. (2019) · Religion, spirituality and health: a social scientific approach · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-21221-6_15 · Cited by 6
Clinical Practice, Religion, and Spirituality
Oman, D. (2018) · Religion, spirituality and health: a social scientific approach · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73966-3_14 · Cited by 4
Gazaway, S. B., Oppong, K. D., Burke, E. S., Nix-Parker, T., Torke, A. M., Perez, S., Fitchett, G., Durant, R. W., Wells, R. D., Bakitas, M., et al. (2024) · Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities · doi:10.1007/s40615-024-02258-9 · Cited by 3
“However, clinicians rarely address important spiritual concerns in disease-related treatment discussions [9, 11–13].”
The Physician and End-of-Life Spiritual Care: The PALliatiVE Approach
Antunes, M., & Reis-Pina, P. (2022) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/10499091211068819 · Cited by 3
“Even though chaplaincy care is associated with greater patient and family satisfaction with care during serious illness,(68) this referral is rare in the current clinical context.(46,49) This seems to be mostly due to a lack of medical preparation in this area, which leads to the inability to recognize spiritual distr…”
BackgroundInfluentialEscala de actitud religiosa en estudiantes de Medicina Humana
Rivera-Encinas, M., & Huarcaya-Victoria, J. (2019) · Horizonte Médico (Lima) · doi:10.24265/horizmed.2019.v19n4.05 · Cited by 3
Thompson, K., Tak, H., El-Din, M., Madani, S., Brauer, S. G., & Yoon, J. D. (2018) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/1049909118792871 · Cited by 3
Spirituality in medical education: a concept analysis
Nahardani, S. Z., Ahmadi, F., Bigdeli, S., & Arabshahi, K. S. (2018) · Medicine, Health care and Philosophy · doi:10.1007/s11019-018-9867-5 · Cited by 2
A landscape analysis of psychedelic facilitation training in the US
Palitsky, R., Peacock, C., Breau, J. A., Gillis-Smith, P., & Sklodowska, G. (2026) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0350037 · Cited by 2
“This interest may represent a departure from other clinical fields, in which there is ambivalence about the role of religion or spirituality in treatment [50–52].”
Spiritual Assessment of Neurologic Patients: A Practical Approach.
Subramanian, I., Vaughan, C., Peteet, J., Hall, K., & LaFrance, W. (2026) · Neurology Clinical Practice · doi:10.1212/cpj.0000000000200591 · Cited by 2
Hooker, S. A., Lianov, L. S., Billock, C., Bruce, M. A., Grinberg, R., Jotwani, R. P., Landry, M. J., Sutin, A. R., & Karlsen, M. C. (2026) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/15598276251412769 · Cited by 1
“30 Additionally, meaning correlates positively with overall, mental, and physical quality of life, especially for adults over age 60, where the link to physical quality of life is even stronger.”
Masukawa, K., Suzuki, R., Tanno, M., Nakayama, M., & Miyashita, M. (2025) · JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics · doi:10.1200/cci-25-00129 · Cited by 2
Discussion of Spirituality in Family Conferences of Infants with Neurologic Conditions
Peralta, D., Nanduri, N., Bansal, S., Rent, S., Brandon, D., Pollak, K. I., & Lemmon, M. E. (2024) · Journal of Pain and Symptom Management · doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2024.09.020 · Cited by 2
Perrault, E. K., & McPhail, B. L. (2023) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-023-01836-1 · Cited by 2
“A systematic review of over 60 studies on this topic found doctors discussed religion and spirituality infrequently with patients, often citing insufficient time and personal discomfort as reasons for not addressing the topic (Best et al., 2016).”
BackgroundEke, G., & Onodingene, N. (2021) · Asian Journal of Medicine and Health · doi:10.9734/ajmah/2021/v19i230302 · Cited by 2
A Survey of Medical Student Experiences of Patients’ Religion and Spirituality at One Medical School
Smothers, Z., Tu, J., Grochowski, C., & Koenig, H. (2020) · Academic Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s40596-020-01232-x · Cited by 2
Seddigh, R., Azarnik, S., Memaryan, N., & Hadi, F. (2020) · Medical Journal of The Islamic Republic of Iran · doi:10.34171/mjiri.34.6 · Cited by 2
“Doctors admit to their need for addressing spirituality with their patients, but they report some barriers which include insufficient time, lack of training in this field, being unreligious, and fear of violating the patient’s privacy, or exposing their religious beliefs (36).”
BackgroundPsychosocial and Spiritual Issues in Supportive Cancer Care
Surbone, A., Goldzweig, G., & Baider, L. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-90990-5_41 · Cited by 2
A scoping review of 50 years of school-based mindfulness programs for children and adolescents
O’Neal, C. S., Begeny, J. C., & Smith, B. (2026) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.108840
Azizoğlu, H., Akaltun, H., & Gürkan, Z. (2026) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-025-02562-6 · Cited by 1
“Feelings of both competence and inadequacy—described by nurses in relation to their religious knowledge— align with prior reports of professional role ambiguity noted by Best et al. (2015), McSherry and Jamieson (2013), and Selby et al. (2016).”
Neuropalliative Care in Movement Disorders.
Kluger, B. M. (2025) · Continuum · doi:10.1212/cont.0000000000001640 · Cited by 1
Jones, K., & Best, M. (2025) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02237-8 · Cited by 1
“Discomfort with discussing spirituality has been identified as a barrier to spiritual care in previous research (Best et al., 2016).”
Self-citationSpiritual care competencies in pre-graduate medical and nursing education
Buchter, S., & Monod-Zorzi, S. (2024) · Spiritual Care · doi:10.1515/spircare-2023-0065 · Cited by 1
„Spiritual/Existential Care interprofessionell“ – ein Schulungskonzept für Gesundheitsfachberufe
Gerundt, M., & Giebel, A. (2024) · PPH · doi:10.1055/a-2261-6196 · Cited by 1
A survey regarding the role of UK dietitians in spiritual care
Lycett, D., Garvey, S., & Patel, R. (2024) · Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics · doi:10.1111/jhn.13306 · Cited by 2
Ruppe, N. M., Clawson, A. H., Nwankwo, C., & Blair, A. L. (2023) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-023-01903-7 · Cited by 1
“However, a recent systematic review found that only 30% of physicians ask patients about their religious affiliation during the first exam (Best et al., 2016 ).”
The Emmaus Project: Aging, Illness, and Dying Among Older Christians—A Qualitative Study
Quinn, K., Kim, J., & Yoon, J. D. (2023) · The Linacre Quarterly · doi:10.1177/00243639231156700 · Cited by 1
Vasconcelos, A. P. S. L., Lucchetti, A. L. G., Cavalcanti, A. P. R., Conde, S. R. S. D. S., Gonçalves, L. M., Moriguchi, E. H., Chazan, A. C. S., Tavares, R. L. C., Ezequiel, O. D. S., & Lucchetti, G. (2022) · Journal of Religion and Health · doi:10.1007/s10943-022-01702-6 · Cited by 1
Medicine in Between: Thomas Wolfe, Spirituality, and the Meaning of Life
Petriceks, A. H. (2021) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-021-01388-2 · Cited by 1
Andersen, A., Viftrup, D. T., Pedersen, H. F., & Roessler, K. (2020) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel11100502 · Cited by 1
Younkin, F. L., Laswell, E. M., Coe, K. L., Hanson, J., Snyder, R., & Chen, A. M. H. (2019) · Christian Journal for Global Health · doi:10.15566/cjgh.v6i2.301 · Cited by 1
When a patient asks you to pray: what's a provider to do?
Pearce, M. J., & Chiaramonte, D. R. (2017) · International Journal of Palliative Nursing · doi:10.12968/ijpn.2017.23.7.316 · Cited by 1
Spirituelle Bedürfnisse und die Lebenszufriedenheit von Flüchtlingen
Surżykiewicz, J., & Maier, K. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-26863-3_4 · Cited by 6
Detecting spiritual pain in electronic medical records using large language models
Masukawa, K., Meguro, M., Aihara, E., Ishida, M., Kondo, U., Inoue, R., Nakayama, M., & Miyashita, M. (2026) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11416-0
What has been used to improve patients’ spiritual health in primary care: A realist review
Whitehead, I. O., Mordue, P., Adley, M., Westhead, E., Barnabas, J., O'Donnell, A., & Hanratty, B. (2026) · European Journal of General Practice · doi:10.1080/13814788.2026.2739239
Spirituality in End-Of-Life Care: Tips and Tools for all Physicians.
Soled, D., Cavanaugh, S. T., Vandenhoeck, A., & Balboni, M. (2026) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/10499091261492204
Sonbahar‐Ulu, H., Yılmaz, G. G., Yiğit, A. B., Cesur, E. M., Sarışen, Ş., Bozkuş, R., & Şahın, S. (2026) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11189-6
“Spiritual coping strategies often involve practices such as prayer, gratitude, acceptance, and relationship with God, and these processes are shaped in interaction with family caregivers [7, 8].”
Discontinuing Extracorporeal Life Support in Europe: Too Many Bridges?
Paoletti, L., Sexauer, S., & Ford, D. W. (2026) · Critical Care Medicine · doi:10.1097/ccm.0000000000007261
Creech, G. G., Bieck, R. L., Bolint, B. X., Derrick, J. L., Lanz, A., Soroka, J. T., & Suleman, S. (2026) · The American journal of hospice & palliative care · doi:10.1177/10499091261465367
Supporting the Integration of the Existential Dimension Into Clinical Practice
Visser, A., Post, L., Dekker, J., van Zuylen, L., & Konings, I. R. H. M. (2026) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.70515
“Earlier research showed that HCPs not addressing existential themes may be due to context, culture or how HCPs view their role [25, 26].”
Ripamonti, C., Henry, J., Puchalski, C., Tagliaferro, C., Scotte', F., Ast, K., Fabi, A., Antonuzzo, A., Ladetto, M., Dowling, M., et al. (2026) · JCO Oncology Practice · doi:10.1200/op-25-01129
Nunes, A. P. D. A., Lucchetti, A., de Oliveira, R. G., Firmino, A. J. D. F., Ezequiel, O. D. S., & Lucchetti, G. (2026) · European journal of dental education · doi:10.1111/eje.70090
Spiritual well-being as a protective factor for endothelial dysfunction in clinically healthy adults
Casarsa, A., de Medeiros, P. B., Tolentino, J., Guimaraes, I. D. S., Cruz, K., dos Santos, L. S., Tinoco, M. N., Dias, M. D. F. M. G., Gjorup, A., & Schmidt, S. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0339676
“Studies have identified common reasons for this gap, including lack of formal training, limited time during consultations, uncertainty about how to address spiritual issues appropriately, and fear of overstepping professional boundaries [35].”
Cipta, A., León, V., Liu, C., Becker, D., Yao, J. F., Shi, J.-X. M., Ing, B., Lum, M., Ngan, H., Hamilton, J. B., et al. (2025) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-025-02446-9
Spiritual care in palliative medicine: interactive, virtual workshop for specialists
White, D., Barham, D., McEniery, J., Mherekumombe, M., & Bridge, D. (2024) · BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care · doi:10.1136/spcare-2024-004889
Nascimento, F. R. V. D., & de Goulart, B. D. (2024) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-024-02208-z
“…dealing with problems related to S/R, personal discomfort as a topic, fear of offending the patient, fear of imposing their religious perspective or invading their privacy, not being paid to meet demands on this topic, and fear of colleagues or work institutions not approving (Best et al., 2016).”
InfluentialShould Providers Engage in Religious Discussions, and If They Should, Then with Whom?
Howe, E. G. (2024) · Journal of Clinical Ethics · doi:10.1086/732143
Hodge, D. R., & Turner, P. R. (2024) · International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine · doi:10.1177/00912174241240305
“33 Ac-cordingly, studies investigating media representations are of critical importance as television messages may shape understandings of spirituality among people with psychosis, physicians, and key actors in their respective social networks.”
Johnson, M. (2024) · Journal of Women's & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy · doi:10.1097/jwh.0000000000000298
“22 For the purpose of this article, we will focus on the broader topic of spirituality, which can include religion, but is not limited to religious Clinical Commentary beliefs or doctrine.”
BackgroundInfluentialWriting it in: the role of social workers in responding to unmet spiritual need in hospital settings
McMenemy, C. (2023) · Social Thought · doi:10.1080/15426432.2023.2279548
“Organizational support is important to ensuring that workers have the time required to engage in spiritual care (Best et al., 2016) and receive adequate opportunities for training related to spirituality, not only at the beginning but over the course of their career (De Vynck et al., 2022; Jones et…”
BackgroundBedside palliative care and geriatric consultations: adherence rate in hospitalised patients
Pijls, N., Joosten, H., Theunissen, M., van Leendert, J. A. A., Courtens, A., Magdelijns, F., & Everdingen, M. H. J. V. D. B.-V. (2023) · BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care · doi:10.1136/spcare-2023-004453
Lisboa, K. O., Manso, G. G., Sarmento, I. P., Sarmento, R. P., Bernardes, V., Usevicius, P., & Cardoso, H. C. (2021) · Brazilian Journal of Development · doi:10.34117/bjdv7n6-442
Holmes, D., Henley, L. J., & Johnson, M. S. (2021) · Spirituality in Pharmacy: Providing Holistic Care—It’s More Than Medicine · doi:10.21019/9781582123509.ch5
GAMBARAN KEBUTUHAN SPIRITUAL PASIEN PRE OPERATIF DI RUANG BEDAH RUMAH SAKIT BANDUNG
Pragholapati, A. (2020) · Jurnal Ilmiah Keperawatan Sai Betik · doi:10.26630/jkep.v16i1.1886
Carminati, L. (2020) · doi:10.15126/thesis.00853747
“…lacking theoretical justifications of why and how moral dilemmas happen (Genuis and Lipp, 2013; Shanafelt et al., 2009), has explored potential professional and personal identity values, i.e. religious values (Best et al., 2016; Curlin et al., 2007; Genuis and Lipp, 2013; Karnik and Kanekar, 2016).”
BackgroundSanderson, C. (2019) · Fast Facts for the Hospice Nurse · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77740-5_105
The Depersonalization of Medicine, and the Promises of Spiritual Care
Sprik, P. (2019) · Society · doi:10.1007/s12115-019-00342-z
Fard, G. M. N., Farid, A. A. A., Farahani, N. S., Ghaempanah, Z., & Pirmoradi, M. (2018) · Journal of Molecular Biology Research · doi:10.5539/jmbr.v8n1p74
McCarthy, M. (2017) · Southern medical journal (Birmingham, Ala. Print) · doi:10.14423/smj.0000000000000658
The Self And Suffering: Therapeutic Perspectives From Indian Knowledge SystemsPreprint
Bhavananai, A. B., & Anandhi, M. (2025) · Social Science Research Network · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5381223
Percepcija duhovnosti in duhovne oskrbe pri zaposlenih v slovenskih domovih za starejše
Kavčič, I. Š. (2023) · Bogoslovni vestnik · doi:10.34291/bv2023/01/svab
Rellensmann, G., & Hasan, C. (2021) · Pädiatrische Palliativversorgung – Grundlagen · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-61777-9_4
General Applications in Clinical Practice
Koenig, H. (2018) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-811282-3.00010-0
Metadata
- Authors
- Best, M., Butow, P., & Olver, I.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- University of South Australia (AU)
- Venue
- Palliative Medicine
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-08-12
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 327-337
- ISSN
- 0269-2163 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-030X
- OpenAlex
- W1620651998
- Cited by
- 216
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 3.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Palliative Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Workplace Spirituality and Leadership
- Keywords
- religion, spirituality, physician-patient communication, medical consultation, physician attitudes, barriers to discussion, terminal illness, palliative care
- MeSH terms
- Attitude of Health Personnel, Chaplaincy Service, Hospital, Communication, Communication Barriers, Humans, Physician-Patient Relations, Practice Patterns, Physicians', Physicians, Referral and Consultation, Religion and Medicine, Databases, Bibliographic, Terminally Ill, Spirituality
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review