Addressing the religious and spiritual needs of dying patients by healthcare staff in Korea: patient perspectives in a multi-religious Asian country.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated how patients' spiritual and religious needs are addressed by healthcare staff in inpatient palliative care centers in Korea, a multi-religious country.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional, multicenter survey of terminal cancer patients in inpatient palliative care centers.


RESULTS
Approximately half (50.5%) of the patients reported that their spiritual and religious needs were addressed by healthcare staff. Patients whose needs were addressed reported better quality of life (QoL), as measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Questionnaire for Palliative Care, than patients whose needs were not addressed (p<0.05), although these groups did not differ when measured using the Comprehensive QoL Scale. Patients with a religious affiliation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 2.38; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.70-8.05], those who were admitted to a religious palliative care center (aOR, 2.61; 95% CI, 0.86-7.96), and those whose religious affiliation was the same as that of the palliative care center (aOR, 2.42; 95% CI, 0.96-6.07) tended to have their spiritual and religious needs addressed, although not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Although patients whose spiritual and religious needs were addressed by healthcare staff showed significantly better QoL, such needs were not addressed in a significant proportion of patients, especially those who were not religious or were admitted to non-religious palliative care centers. Strategies should be developed to ensure that spiritual care is provided to all patients with terminal cancer, regardless of the religious background of the patient.
National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Jina
J
Kang
Dong Wook
DW
Shin
Jin Young
JY
Choi
Chang Hae
CH
Park
Young Ji
YJ
Baek
Ha Na
HN
Mo
Mi Ok
MO
Song
Shin Ae
SA
Park
Do Ho
DH
Moon
Ki Young
KY
Son
D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012067:Religion; D056910:Republic of Korea; D029181:Spirituality; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*