The practice of pilgrimage in palliative care: a case study of Lourdes.
OBJECTIVE
To understand why healthcare professionals working in palliative care felt that pilgrimage to Lourdes could be a beneficial activity for the terminally ill.


METHODS
A qualitative study using a phenomenological framework.


METHODS
Nine semistructured interviews with a purposive sample of hospice staff.


RESULTS
The reasons given for accompanying the terminally ill to Lourdes reflected the general aims of palliative care. They included improving the quality of life through the provision of a holiday, maintaining patient choice and autonomy and enabling inner-transformations. The communitas, or altered relationships, formed during the pilgrimage were also seen as beneficial.
Lillie
Alison Kate
AK
School of Health Science, University of Birmingham, 52 Pritchatts Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK. a.k.lillie@bham.ac.uk
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001293:Attitude to Death; D002410:Catholicism / Q000523:psychology*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005086:Existentialism / Q000523:psychology; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006126:Group Processes; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006693:Holidays / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*; D014195:Travel / Q000523:psychology*; D035501:Uncertainty