Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Kansas Physician Assistants’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Spirituality and Religiosity in Patient Care

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Religion and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research indicates patients want to discuss spirituality/religious (S/R) beliefs with their healthcare provider. This was a cross-sectional study of Kansas physician assistants (PA) regarding S/R in patient care. Surveys included questions about personal S/R beliefs and attitudes about S/R in patient care. Self-reported religious respondents agreed (92%) they should be aware of patient S/R; 82% agreed they should address it. Agreement with incorporating S/R increased significantly based on patient acuity. This research indicates Kansas PAs’ personal S/R beliefs influence their attitudes toward awareness and addressing patient S/R.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Academy of Physician Assistants Division of Data Services & Statistics. (2008). Estimated number of patient visits and medications prescribed or recommended by physician assistants in 2007. http://www.aapa.org/images/stories/iu07visitsandrx.pdf. Accessed 16 Nov 2008.

  • Armbruster, C. A., Chibnall, J. T., & Legett, S. (2003). Pediatrician beliefs about spirituality and religion in medicine: Associations with clinical practice. Pediatrics, 111(3), e227–e235.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Avants, S. K., Warburton, L. A., & Margolin, A. (2001). Spiritual and religious support in recovery from addiction among hiv-positive injection drug users. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 33(1), 39–45.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Balboni, T. A., Vanderwerker, L. C., Block, S. D., Paulk, M. E., Lathan, C. S., Peteet, J. R., et al. (2007). Religiousness and spiritual support among advanced cancer patients and associations with end-of-life treatment preferences and quality of life. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25(5), 555–560.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carmody, J., Reed, G., Kristeller, J., & Merriam, P. (2008). Mindfulness, spirituality, and health-related symptoms. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 64(4), 393–403.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Catlin, E. A., Cadge, W., Ecklund, E. H., Gage, E. A., & Zollfrank, A. A. (2008). The spiritual and religious identities, beliefs, and practices of academic pediatricians in the United States. Academic Medicine, 83(12), 1146–1152.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cavendish, R., Luise, B. K., Russo, D., Mitzeliotis, C., Bauer, M., McPartlan-Bajo, M. A., et al. (2004). Spiritual perspectives of nurses in the United States relevant for education and practice. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 26(2), 196–212.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J., van Delden, J., Mortier, F., Lofmark, R., Norup, M., Cartwright, C., et al. (2008). Influence of physicians’ life stances on attitudes to end-of-life decisions and actual end-of-life decision-making in six countries. Journal of Medical Ethics, 34(4), 247–253.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Curlin, F. A., Lawrence, R. E., Odell, S., Chin, M. H., Lantos, J. D., Koenig, H. G., et al. (2007). Religion, spirituality, and medicine: psychiatrists’ and other physicians’ differing observations, interpretations, and clinical approaches. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 164(12), 1825–1831.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Curlin, F. A., Nwodim, C., Vance, J. L., Chin, M. H., & Lantos, J. D. (2008). To die, to sleep: US physicians’ religious and other objections to physician-assisted suicide, terminal sedation, and withdrawal of life support. The American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 25(2), 112–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuttini, M., Nadai, M., Kaminski, M., Hansen, G., de Leeuw, R., Lenoir, S., et al. (2000). End-of-life decisions in neonatal intensive care: Physicians’ self-reported practices in seven European countries. Lancet, 355(9221), 2112–2118.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, B. (2005). Mediators of the relationship between hope and well-being in older adults. Clinical Nursing Research, 14(3), 253–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ecklund, E. H., Cadge, W., Gage, E. A., & Catlin, E. A. (2007). The religious and spiritual beliefs and practices of academic pediatric oncologists in the United States. Journal of Pediatric Hematology/oncology, 29(11), 736–742.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ehman, J. W., Ott, B. B., Short, T. H., Ciampa, R. C., & Hansen-Flaschen, J. (1999). Do patients want physicians to inquire about their spiritual or religious beliefs if they become gravely ill? Archives of Internal Medicine, 159(15), 1803–1806.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elkins, D. N., Hedstrom, L. J., Hughes, L. L., Leaf, J. A., & Saunders, C. (1988). Toward humanistic phenomenological spirituality. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 11(4), 5–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, M. R., Campbell, J. D., Detwiler-Breidenbach, A., & Hubbard, D. K. (2002). What do family physicians think about spirituality in clinical practice? Journal of Family Practice, 51(3), 249–254.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, M. R., Vinson, D. C., & Ewigman, B. (1999). Addressing spiritual concerns of patients: Family physicians’ attitudes and practices. Journal of Family Practice, 48(2), 105–109.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grossoehme, D. H., Ragsdale, J. R., McHenry, C. L., Thurston, C., DeWitt, T., & VandeCreek, L. (2007). Pediatrician characteristics associated with attention to spirituality and religion in clinical practice. Pediatrics, 119(1), e117–e123.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guck, T. P., & Kavan, M. G. (2006). Medical student beliefs: Spirituality’s relationship to health and place in the medical school curriculum. Medical Teacher, 28(8), 702–707.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hebert, R. S., Jenckes, M. W., Ford, D. E., O’Connor, D. R., & Cooper, L. A. (2001). Patient perspectives on spirituality and the patient-physician relationship. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(10), 685–692.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hummer, R. A., Rogers, R. G., Nam, C. B., & Ellison, C. G. (1999). Religious involvement and US adult mortality. Demography, 36(2), 273–285.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • IBM Corporation. (2009). PASW version 18.0. IBM SPSS. IBM Corporation, Somers, NY.

  • Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. (2010). Statistics page. Retrieved from http://www.ksbha.org/statistics.html.

  • Koenig, H. G. (2004). Religion, spirituality, and medicine: Research findings and implications for clinical practice. Southern Medical Journal, 97(12), 1194–1200.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Luckhaupt, S. E., Yi, M. S., Mueller, C. V., Mrus, J. M., Peterman, A. H., Puchalski, C. M., et al. (2005). Beliefs of primary care residents regarding spirituality and religion in clinical encounters with patients: A study at a midwestern US teaching institution. Academic Medicine, 80(6), 560–570.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacLean, C. D., Susi, B., Phifer, N., Schultz, L., Bynum, D., Franco, M., et al. (2003). Patient preference for physician discussion and practice of spirituality. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 18(1), 38–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Magyar-Russell, G., Fosarelli, P., Taylor, H., & Finkelstein, D. (2008). Ophthalmology patients’ religious and spiritual beliefs—an opportunity to build trust in the patient-physician relationship. Archives of Ophthalmology, 126(9), 1262–1265.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCauley, J., Jenckes, M. W., Tarpley, M. J., Koenig, H. G., Yanek, L. R., & Becker, D. M. (2005). Spiritual beliefs and barriers among managed care practitioners. Journal of Religion and Health, 44(2), 137–146.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCord, G., Gilchrist, V. J., Grossman, S. D., King, B. D., McCormick, K. E., Oprandi, A. M., et al. (2004). Discussing spirituality with patients: A rational and ethical approach. Annals of Family Medicine, 2(4), 356–361.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Musick, M. A., House, J. S., & Williams, D. R. (2004). Attendance at religious services and mortality in a national sample. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 45(2), 198–213.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Olson, M. M., Sandor, M. K., Sierpina, V. S., Vanderpool, H. Y., & Dayao, P. (2006). Mind, body, and spirit: Family physicians’ beliefs, attitudes, and practices regarding the integration of patient spirituality into medical care. Journal of Religion and Health, 45(2), 234–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purnell, J. Q., Andersen, B. L., & Wilmot, J. P. (2009). Religious practice and spirituality in the psychological adjustment of survivors of breast cancer. Counseling and Values, 53(3), 165.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Seale, C. (2010). The role of doctors’ religious faith and ethnicity in taking ethically controversial decisions during end of life care. Journal of Medical Ethics, 36(11), 677–682.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Silvestri, G. A., Knittig, S., Zoller, J. S., & Nietert, P. J. (2003). Importance of faith on medical decisions regarding cancer care. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 21(7), 1379–1382.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Strawbridge, W. J., Cohen, R. D., Shema, S. J., & Kaplan, G. A. (1997). Frequent attendance at religious services and mortality over 28 years. American Journal of Public Health, 87(6), 957–961.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wasner, M., Longaker, C., Fegg, M. J., & Borasio, G. D. (2005). Effects of spiritual care training for palliative care professionals. Palliative Medicine, 19(2), 99–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wesley Medical Center, Trauma Services, Wichita, KS, USA

    Gina M. Berg & Sue Nyberg

  2. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, KU School of Medicine-Wichita, 1010 N. Kansas, Wichita, KS, 67214, USA

    Gina M. Berg, Robin E. Crowe & Felecia Lee

  3. Department of Physician Assistant, Wichita State University, Wichita, KS, USA

    Ginny Budke, Jennifer Norman, Valerie Swick & Sue Nyberg

Authors
  1. Gina M. Berg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robin E. Crowe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ginny Budke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jennifer Norman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Valerie Swick
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Sue Nyberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Felecia Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gina M. Berg.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Berg, G.M., Crowe, R.E., Budke, G. et al. Kansas Physician Assistants’ Attitudes and Beliefs Regarding Spirituality and Religiosity in Patient Care. J Relig Health 52, 864–876 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9532-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-011-9532-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation