title: The Differential Effects of Chaplain Interventions on Patient Satisfaction.
abstract: There is an acute need to define the specific skills that make chaplains integral to the healthcare team. This prospective study attempts to identify those skills that may be specific to chaplains, for whom no other member of the health care team has similar training, and to examine if these skills have a differential effect on patient satisfaction. A total of 59 interventions were identified and grouped into 10 categories by focus groups comprised of chaplains. Subsequently, Principal Component Analysis yielded two independent variables; Component 1 representing the "Religious/Spiritual" dimension, and Component 2 representing the "Psychosocial" dimension of chaplains' work. The two components were used in an OLS regression model to measure patient satisfaction. Interventions that comprise the "Religious/Spiritual" dimension may be considered to be specific skills that chaplains contribute to patient care and these have a slightly stronger correlation with patient satisfaction than the interventions of the "Psychosocial" dimension.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Vanshdeep
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Deborah B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.affiliation: b Office for Excellence in Patient Care , Mount Sinai Hospital , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sosunov
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychiatry , Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ozbay
authors.affiliation: c Department of Spiritual Care and Education , Mount Sinai Hospital , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: d HealthCare Chaplaincy Network , New York , New York , USA.
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Handzo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002604:Chaplaincy Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010327:Pastoral Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies
keywords: chaplain skills; patient satisfaction; principal component analysis; psychosocial dimension; religious/spiritual dimension