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Human Development Index and its association with staff spiritual care provision: a Middle Eastern oncology study

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A Correction to this article was published on 24 April 2019

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Abstract

Background

Although staff spiritual care provision plays a key role in patient-centered care, there is insufficient information on international variance in attitudes toward spiritual care and its actual provision.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of the attitudes of Middle Eastern oncology physicians and nurses toward eight examples of staff provision of spiritual care: two questionnaire items concerned prayer, while six items related to applied information gathering, such as spiritual history taking, referrals, and encouraging patients in their spirituality. In addition, respondents reported on spiritual care provision for their last three advanced cancer patients.

Results

Seven hundred seventy responses were received from 14 countries (25% from countries with very high Human Development Index (HDI), 41% high, 29% medium, 5% low). Over 63% of respondents positively viewed the six applied information gathering items, while significantly more, over 76%, did so among respondents from very high HDI countries (p value range, p < 0.001 to p = 0.01). Even though only 42–45% overall were positively inclined toward praying with patients, respondents in lower HDI countries expressed more positive views (p < 0.001). In interaction analysis, HDI proved to be the single strongest factor associated with five of eight spiritual care examples (p < 0.001 for all). Significantly, the Middle Eastern respondents in our study actually provided actual spiritual care to 47% of their most recent advanced cancer patients, compared to only 27% in a parallel American study, with the key difference identified being HDI.

Conclusions

A country’s development level is a key factor influencing attitudes toward spiritual care and its actual provision. Respondents from lower ranking HDI countries proved relatively more likely to provide spiritual care and to have positive attitudes toward praying with patients. In contrast, respondents from countries with higher HDI levels had relatively more positive attitudes toward spiritual care interventions that involved gathering information applicable to patient care.

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Change history

  • 24 April 2019

    Incorrect family name of Layth Mula-Hussain.

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Acknowledgements

We extend our appreciation to the researchers who designed the Religion and Spirituality in Cancer Care study for their permission to use that questionnaire. We also thank the Middle East Cancer Consortium and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa for their support. Special thanks go particularly to Mrs. Genoveba Breitstein for her meticulous administrative work throughout.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cancer Center, Emek Medical Center, Afula, Israel

    Gil Bar-Sela

  2. Division of Oncology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Michael J. Schultz

  3. Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt

    Karima Elshamy

  4. Cancer Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    Maryam Rassouli

  5. The Oncology Service, Lin Medical Center, Haifa, Israel

    Eran Ben-Arye

  6. Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon

    Myrna Doumit

  7. Radiation and Isotope Center, Khartoum, Sudan

    Nahla Gafer

  8. College of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

    Alaa Albashayreh

  9. Makassed Charitable Hospital, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine

    Ibtisam Ghrayeb

  10. Abdurrahman Yurtaslan Ankara Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey

    Ibrahim Turker, Gulcin Ozalp & Gonca Tuncel

  11. Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey

    Sultan Kav

  12. El-Salam Oncology Center, Cairo, Egypt

    Rasha Fahmi

  13. Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, Avodaphnousa Hospice, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Sophia Nestoros

  14. Children’s Welfare Teaching Hospital, Baghdad College of Medicine, Baghdad, Iraq

    Hasanein Ghali, Safa Faraj, Mazin Al-Jadiry & Samaher Razzaq

  15. Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada

    Layth Mula-Hussain

  16. Department of Hematology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Ilana Shazar

  17. Faculty of Nursing, Zarqa University, Zarqa, Jordan

    Rana Obeidat

  18. Children Cancer Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan

    Rehana Punjwani

  19. Al-Sadeel Society for Palliative Care, Bethlehem, West Bank, Palestine

    Mohamad Khleif

  20. Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Gulbeyaz Can

  21. Bank of Cyprus Oncology Center, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Haris Charalambous

  22. Cyprus Anti-Cancer Society, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Neophyta Keoppi

  23. Ruth Rappaport Children’s Hospital, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel

    Sergey Postovsky

  24. King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan

    Ma’an Al-Omari

  25. European Khan Yunis Hospital, Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip, Palestine

    Hani Ayyash

  26. Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia

    Khaled Khader

  27. Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty & Oncology Institute, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Rejin Kebudi

  28. Faculty of Nursing, Jordan University for Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan

    Suha Omran

  29. Abu Dis and Al-Ahli Hospital, Al Quds University, Hebron, West Bank, Palestine

    Osaid Rasheed

  30. Faculty of Nursing, Al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan

    Mohammed Qadire

  31. Tibbi Onkoloji Bilim Dali, Gazi Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Ankara, Turkey

    Ahmet Ozet

  32. Middle East Cancer Consortium and Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel

    Michael Silbermann

Authors
  1. Gil Bar-Sela
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  2. Michael J. Schultz
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  3. Karima Elshamy
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  16. Layth Mula-Hussain
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  32. Rejin Kebudi
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  33. Suha Omran
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  34. Osaid Rasheed
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  35. Mohammed Qadire
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  36. Ahmet Ozet
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gil Bar-Sela.

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The original version of this article was revised. The name of Layth Mula-Hussain was incorrectly captured and is now corrected.

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Bar-Sela, G., Schultz, M.J., Elshamy, K. et al. Human Development Index and its association with staff spiritual care provision: a Middle Eastern oncology study. Support Care Cancer 27, 3601–3610 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-04733-0

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