title: Patient attitudes regarding physician inquiry into spiritual and religious issues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most physicians do not address spiritual and religious issues with patients, although there are data documenting the relationship between religious variables and disease, health, and well-being. The purpose of this study was twofold: to examine patient attitudes regarding physician-directed inquiry about issues related to spiritual matters and faith; and to identify screening variables that would identify patients who would be receptive to such a discussion.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Spiritual and Religious Inquiry (SRI) questionnaire was administered to patients presenting for care in a family practice center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' frequency of religious service attendance (at least monthly) predicted their acceptance of physician inquiry into their religion and personal faith (P < .01) and acceptance of physician referral to pastoral professionals for spiritual problems (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the use of frequency of religious service attendance as a screening variable for patients receptive to physician-directed inquiry into religious and spiritual issues. It also confirms that patients are accepting of physicians' referring patients to pastoral professionals (ie, clergy) for spiritual problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City 66160.
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Daaleman
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Nease
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001290:Attitude; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas; D008875:Middle Aged; D010327:Pastoral Care; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires