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Using patient-reported religious/spiritual concerns to identify patients who accept chaplain interventions in an outpatient oncology setting

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Abstract

Purpose

The goals of this study were to (1) describe the prevalence and correlates of patient-reported religious/spiritual (R/S) needs in outpatient oncology patients and (2) estimate the associations of R/S concerns with acceptance of an R/S intervention offered by phone.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of data collected from distress screenings and spiritual care interventions at an outpatient cancer center from March 1, 2017 to May 9, 2017. Patients (n = 1249) used a tablet to self-report the following R/S concerns: spiritual or religious concern, isolation, struggle to find hope/meaning in life, concern for family, fear of death, shame/guilt, and doubts about faith. Patients were also screened for anxiety, depression, and distress. A chaplain contacted patients that reported one or more R/S concerns to offer R/S interventions via telephone or in person.

Results

Approximately one third (29.9%) of surveyed patients indicated at least one R/S need. Younger age, female gender, anxiety, depression, and distress were associated with indication of specific R/S concerns. Fear of death (OR 1.64 [1.02, 2.66], p = 0.043), struggle to find meaning/hope in life (OR 2.47 [1.39, 4.39], p = 0.002), and anxiety (p = 1.003) were associated with increased odds of intervention acceptance.

Conclusion

Effective screening practices are needed for chaplains to prioritize patients most in need. This exploratory study suggests that screening for struggle to find meaning/hope in life, fear of death, and anxiety will help chaplains identify patients who have R/S concerns and will likely accept R/S interventions. Developing effective telehealth practices like this is an important direction for the field.

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Acknowledgements

We would like thank Dr. Declan Walsh, Beth York, and Angela Janssen-Keenan for their supervision and support, and Dr. George Fitchett for his guidance and recommendations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Supportive Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute, 711 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC, 28202, USA

    Petra J. Sprik, Kendall Walsh & Patrick Meadors

  2. Department of Cancer Biostatistics, Levine Cancer Institute, 711 East Morehead St., Charlotte, NC, 28202, USA

    Danielle M. Boselli

Authors
  1. Petra J. Sprik
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  2. Kendall Walsh
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  3. Danielle M. Boselli
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  4. Patrick Meadors
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Correspondence to Petra J. Sprik.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Authors have full control of primary data, and will allow the journal to review de-identified data upon request.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 1 Patient characteristics (n = 1249)
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Table 2 Indication of patient-reported R/S concern (n = 374)
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Table 3 Association of patient characteristics and indication of R/S concerns (n = 1249)
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Table 4 Interventions provided to patients indicating R/S concerns
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Table 5 Association of indicating any R/S concern with receiving R/S intervention
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Table 6 Association of anxiety, depression, and distress scores with receiving an intervention
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Sprik, P.J., Walsh, K., Boselli, D.M. et al. Using patient-reported religious/spiritual concerns to identify patients who accept chaplain interventions in an outpatient oncology setting. Support Care Cancer 27, 1861–1869 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4447-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4447-z

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