title: What do chaplains really do? III. Referrals in the New York Chaplaincy Study.
abstract: The current study examines patterns of referrals to chaplains documented in the 1994-1996 New York Chaplaincy Study. The data were collected at thirteen healthcare institutions in the Greater New York City area. Of the 38,600 usable records in the sample, 18.4% were referrals, which form the sample for the current study (N = 7,094). The most common sources of referrals were nurses (27.8%) and patients themselves (22.3%), with relatively few referrals coming from physicians and social workers. The study shows the range of patient issues that are referred to chaplains, including emotional, spiritual, medical, relationship/support, and a change in diagnosis or prognosis. Although the reasons for referral varied by hospital setting and referral source, overall, patients were referred more frequently for emotional (30.0%) than for spiritual issues (19.9%). Results are discussed in relation to the need to clarify the role of the chaplain to the rest of the healthcare team, to recognize when there is a spiritual cause of emotional distress, and to establish effective referral protocols.
authors.affiliation: The HealthCare Chaplaincy, USA.
authors.forename: Lauren C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Vanderwerker
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Flannelly
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Galek
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Handzo
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oettinger
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bauman
mesh_terms: D002604:Chaplaincy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009519:New York City; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012107:Research Design