title: Religious and spiritual beliefs of gynecologic oncologists may influence medical decision making.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Religious (R) and spiritual (S) beliefs often affect patients' health care decisions, particularly with regard to care at the end of life. Furthermore, patients desire more R/S involvement by the medical community; however, physicians typically do not incorporate R/S assessment into medical interviews with patients. The effects of physicians' R/S beliefs on willingness to participate in controversial clinical practices such as medical abortions and physician-assisted suicide has been evaluated, but how a physician's R/S beliefs may affect other medical decision-making is unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using SurveyMonkey, an online survey tool, we surveyed 1972 members of the International Gynecologic Oncologists Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists to determine the R/S characteristics of gynecologic oncologists and whether their R/S beliefs affected their clinical practice. Demographics, religiosity, and spirituality data were collected. Physicians were also asked to evaluate 5 complex case scenarios.
  
  
  RESULTS
  : Two hundred seventy-three (14%) physicians responded. Sixty percent "agreed" or "somewhat agreed" that their R/S beliefs were a source of personal comfort. Forty-five percent reported that their R/S beliefs ("sometimes," "frequently," or "always") play a role in the medical options they offered patients, but only 34% "frequently" or "always" take a R/S history from patients. Interestingly, 90% reported that they consider patients' R/S beliefs when discussing end-of-life issues. Responses to case scenarios largely differed by years of experience, although age and R/S beliefs also had influence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that gynecologic oncologists' R/S beliefs may affect patient care but that most physicians fail to take an R/S history from their patients. More work needs to be done to evaluate possible barriers that prevent physicians from taking a spiritual history and engaging in discussions over these matters with patients.
authors: Department of Gynecologic Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. lramonde@mdanderson.org
authors: Lois
authors: L
authors: Ramondetta
authors: Alaina
authors: A
authors: Brown
authors: Gwyn
authors: G
authors: Richardson
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Urbauer
authors: Premal H
authors: PH
authors: Thaker
authors: Harold G
authors: HG
authors: Koenig
authors: Jacalyn B
authors: JB
authors: Gano
authors: Charlotte
authors: C
authors: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011788:Quality of Life; D012067:Religion; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality; D017236:Suicide, Assisted; D055815:Young Adult