Research | Germany |
Standardized spiritual needs screening increased chaplain involvement, German study finds
After introducing the Spiritual Needs Screener, a palliative consult service recorded more chaplaincy visits and more thorough documentation of patient requests.
A mixed-methods study in the Journal of Religion and Health screened 100 patients seen by an inpatient palliative care consultation service in a German tertiary hospital, comparing them with a retrospective cohort of 651 patients.
Improvements appeared in every area measured: documented chaplaincy visits increased, patient requests for spiritual care were recorded more thoroughly, and spiritual support was recommended more often. Focus groups named multi-professional collaboration as a prerequisite for making screening work.