title: Who needs chaplain's visitation in general hospitals? Assessing patients with psychosocial and religious needs.
abstract: Owing to the declining length of patients' hospital stay in recent years, chaplains need evidence-based criteria to decide which patients are likely to have the greatest psychosocial and/or religious-spiritual needs. Therefore, the present pilot study aims at sorting out evidence-based criteria to assess patients with lack of coping resources. A total of 610 patients in the German-speaking part of Switzerland were surveyed with regard to their psychosocial health. The results suggest that lack of vitality (including health condition), lack of support and lack of faith (including spiritual struggle) are valid and reliable criteria for chaplains as internal triggers for pastoral visitation.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Institute of Pastoral Sociology St. Gallen, Switzerland. u.winter@gmx.ch
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Winter-Pfändler
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morgenthaler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002604:Chaplaincy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002977:Clergy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006769:Hospitals, General / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010327:Pastoral Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult