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Spirituality in Patient Care: Why, How, When, and What
Spirituality in Patient Care Why How When and What Author:Harold G. Koenig There is emerging research that demonstrates the effect of ones spiritual beliefs on general health and well-being. More and more information points to the necessity of doing a religious/spiritual profile on a patientin addition to a physical and lifestyle assessmentin order to provide the optimum plan for health and healing. T... more »his book explains the whys, hows, whens, and whats of addressing these spiritual issues in a practical and concise format. This book is intended as a guide for practicing physicians, medical students, and residents to help identify and address the spiritual needs of patients. Those who will benefit most will be physicians who wish to know how to integrate spirituality into clinical practice in an effective and sensitive manner. Other professionals, such as nurses and chaplains, may use this book as they interact with doctors, other health professionals, and hospital administrators. It outlines clearly the following points: Why address spirituality into patient care? How does a physician identify and address spiritual needs? When does one take a spiritual history during the course of medical evaluation? When does a physician provide spiritual support or address spiritual needs? What is the impact that physician involvement in this area can have on the patients ability to cope with illness, on the doctor-patient relationship, patient compliance, and on the course of medical illness and response to treatment? Are there ethical boundaries that should not be crossed? Are there times when spiritual beliefs can actually interfere with medical care, leading to health problems, or worsen disease outcomes?« less