Spiritual issues and needs: Perspectives from patients with advanced cancer and nonmalignant disease. A qualitative study

2004 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELIZABETH GRANT ◽  
SCOTT A. MURRAY ◽  
MARILYN KENDALL ◽  
KIRSTY BOYD ◽  
STEPHEN TILLEY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Advanced Cancer ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
Nonmalignant Disease

Objective: Health care professionals and policy makers acknowledge that spiritual needs are important for many patients with life-limiting illnesses. We asked such patients to describe their spiritual needs and how these needs may impinge on their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Patients were also encouraged to explain in what ways their spiritual needs, if they had any, could be addressed.Methods: We conducted two qualitative interviews, 3 months apart, with 20 patients in their last year of life: 13 patients with advanced cancer and 7 with advanced nonmalignant illness. We also interviewed each patient's general practitioner. Sixty-six interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed.Results: Patients' spiritual needs centered around their loss of roles and self-identity and their fear of dying. Many sought to make sense of life in relation to a nonvisible or sacred world. They associated anxiety, sleeplessness, and despair with such issues, which at times resulted in them seeking support from health professionals. Patients were best able to engage their personal resources to meet these needs when affirmed and valued by health professionals.Significance of results: Enabling patients to deal with their spiritual needs through affirmative relationships with health professionals may improve quality of life and reduce use of health resources. Further research to explore the relationship between spiritual distress and health service utilization is indicated.

scholarly journals Efficacy of a brief online mindfulness-based intervention on the psychological well-being of health care professionals and trainees during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed method design

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iram Osman ◽  
Shaista Hamid ◽  
Veena S. Singaram
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Personal Accomplishment ◽  
Intervention Analysis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Impact

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health professionals were pushed to the front line of a global health crisis unprepared and resource constrained, which affected their mental well-being.Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a brief online mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on stress and burnout for health professionals training and working in South Africa during the COVID-19 crisis.Setting: The context of the study is the overburdened, under-resourced health care system in South Africa during a global pandemic.Methods: A mixed method framework was adopted for this study. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive analysis and the participants’ qualitative experiences were interpreted using interpretative phenomenological analysis.Results: Forty-seven participants took part in this study. The study found a statistically significant (p 0.05) reduction in stress levels and emotional exhaustion as well as an increase in mindful awareness and feelings of personal accomplishment after the intervention. The participants’ shared experiences were analysed in two parts. The pre-intervention analysis presented with central themes of loss of control and a sense of powerlessness because of COVID-19. The post-intervention analysis comprised themes of a sense of acquired control and empowerment through increased mindfulness.Conclusions: The study found that a brief online MBI can be associated with reduced levels of stress and burnout as well as an increased sense of control and empowerment, felt both personally and professionally, during a global crisis.Contribution: The impact of an online MBI for health care professionals amidst a pandemic has not been previously documented.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care of Health Professionals Working in a State Hospital

Religions ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Kerem Toker ◽  
Fadime Çınar
Keyword(s):  
State Hospital ◽  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Recovery Process ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
Specific Care ◽  
The Individual

Background: The determination and fulfillment of the spiritual needs of the individual in times of crisis can be realized by the health care professionals having the knowledge and skills to provide individual-specific care. This research was conducted to determine the perceptions of health professionals about spirituality and spiritual care. Methods: The study of 197 health professionals working in a state hospital was performed. This study is a descriptive study which was conducted between December 2017 and January 2018. Data in the form of an “Introductory Information Form” and “Spirituality and Spiritual Care Grading Scale” was collected. In the analysis of the data, the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis tests, frequency as percentage, and scale scores as mean and standard deviation were used. Results: It was determined that 45.7% of the health professionals were trained in spiritual care, but that they were unable to meet their patients’ spiritual care needs due to the intensive work environment and personnel insufficiency. The total score averaged by the health professionals on the spirituality and spiritual care grading scales was 52.13 ± 10.13. Conclusions: The findings of the research show that health professionals are inadequate in spiritual care initiatives and that their knowledge levels are not at the desired level. With in-service trainings and efforts to address these deficiencies, spiritual care initiatives can be made part of the recovery process.

Journalists and Public Health Professionals: Challenges of a Symbiotic Relationship

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Lubens
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
The United States ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Goals

AbstractJournalists and health professionals share a symbiotic relationship during a disease outbreak as both professions play an important role in informing the public’s perceptions and the decisions of policy makers. Although critics in the United States have focused on US reporters and media outlets whose coverage has been sensationalist and alarmist, the discussion in this article is based on the ideal—gold standard—for US journalists. Journalists perform three primary functions during times of health crises: disseminating accurate information to the public, medical professionals, and policy makers; acting as the go-between for the public and decision makers and health and science experts; and monitoring the performance of institutions responsible for the public health response. A journalist’s goal is to responsibly inform the public in order to optimize the public health goals of prevention while minimizing panic. The struggle to strike a balance between humanizing a story and protecting the dignity of patients while also capturing the severity of an epidemic is harder in the era of the 24-7 news cycle. Journalists grapple with dueling pressures: confirming that their information is correct while meeting the demand for rapid updates. Just as health care professionals triage patients, journalists triage information. The challenge going forward will be how to get ahead of the story from the onset, racing against the pace of digital dissemination of misinformation by continuing to refine the media-science relationship. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-5)

scholarly journals Patient safety challenges in primary health care: a scoping review

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlise Rigon Dalla Nora ◽  
Mariur Gomes Beghetto
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Safety ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Enhancing Resources

ABSTRACT Objectives: to identify the patient safety challenges described by health professionals in Primary Health Care. Methods: a scoping review was conducted on the LILACS, MEDLINE, IBECS, BDENF, and CINAHL databases, and on the Cochrane, SciELO, Pubmed, and Web of Science libraries in January 2019. Original articles on patient safety in the context of Primary Health Care by health professionals were included. Results: the review included 26 studies published between 2002 and 2019. Four categories resulted from the analysis: challenges of health professionals, administration challenges of health services, challenges with the patient and family, and the potential enhancing resources for patient safety. Conclusions: patient safety challenges for Primary Care professionals are multiple and complex. This study provides insight into resources to improve patient safety for health care professionals, patients, administrators, policy makers, educators, and researchers.

Setting limits in uneasy times – healthy diets in underprivileged families

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 225-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kia Ditlevsen ◽  
Annemette Nielsen
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Weight Control ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Preventive Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Parental Feeding ◽  
Migrant Families

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide knowledge on barriers to preventive action on early childhood overweight in non-western migrant families. It investigates the underlying understandings of the parental role in relation to weight control present in health-care professionals and in families. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on qualitative interviews with parents who are engaged in interventions aimed at helping them and their children to adopt a healthier life style, and on interviews with health-care professionals. Findings This study shows that the participating parents, all low SES and living under different forms of insecurity, perceived their parental task for the present as creating well-being for their children, and they were, therefore, reluctant to enforce dietary changes. The health-care professionals, in contrast, considered the need for change through a perspective on future risks. Research limitations/implications The results are based on a rather small sample and the link between insecurity, family dynamics and health practice needs further research. Originality/value The participating parents represented a group that is rarely included in scientific research and the study, therefore, contributes valuable knowledge on health behavior in ethnic minority families. The empirical analysis provides new insights for health professionals regarding the suitability of the universal model of parental feeding styles. It illuminates the implications of implicitly applying this model in health interventions which involve vulnerable categories of parents such as refugees to western societies.

Mothers’ Experiences of Parenting Within the Context of Intimate Partner Violence: Unique Challenges and Resilience

2019 ◽  
pp. 088626051988386
Author(s):  
Alison Fogarty ◽  
Hannah Woolhouse ◽  
Rebecca Giallo ◽  
Catherine Wood ◽  
Jordy Kaufman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
First Child ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Maternal and child health are strongly linked, particularly in the presence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Women who experience IPV are at increased risk of negative physical and mental health difficulties. However, little is known about the experience of mothering within the context of IPV and what mothers perceive as contributing to resilience. This study had two aims. First, to explore women’s experience and perceived challenges associated with being a mother within the context of being in a relationship where IPV is being used. Second, to explore what mothers found helpful in coping during this experience. A nested qualitative sub-study was conducted within a prospective study of mothers during pregnancy and following the birth of their first child. Nine women who reported experiencing IPV since becoming pregnant with their first child participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews, which were then transcribed and analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three subthemes emerged within the theme of unique challenges experienced by mothers. These were partner control over parenting, other disrespectful and controlling behavior, and emotional exhaustion. Within the theme of mothers’ sense of resilience and coping, career development, making sense of experiences, focusing on children, and help-seeking played important roles in helping mothers manage these difficulties. Our findings highlighted the impact that IPV can have on the experience of mothering and the importance of prioritizing women’s health and well-being. Finally, these findings emphasize the importance of health-care professionals identifying and acknowledging the signs of IPV to support women to speak out about their experiences.

Cannabis against chronic muskuloskeletal pain: A scoping review on users and their perceptions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Furrer ◽  
Edeltraut Kröger ◽  
Martine Marcotte ◽  
Nathalie Jauvin ◽  
Richard Bélanger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Cancer Pain ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Therapeutic Option ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medical Cannabis ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Views And Perceptions

Abstract Background Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) may lead to reduced physical function and is the most common cause of chronic non cancer pain. Currently, the pharmacotherapeutic options against CMP are limited and mainly consist of pain management with gabapentinoids or opioids, which carry major adverse effects. Although the effectiveness of medical cannabis (MC) for CMP still lacks solid evidence, several patients suffering from it are exploring this therapeutic option.Objectives Little is known about MC users suffering from CMP. We aimed to increase this knowledge, useful for health care professionals and policy makers considering this treatment, as well as for researchers planning rigorous randomized clinical trials on the effectiveness of MC.Methods We conducted a scoping literature review, according to the methods developed by Arksey and O’Malley, to describe the views and perceptions of patients who had consumed MC to relieve chronic CMP and other non-cancer pain, as well as their demographic characteristics, patterns of MC use, and perceived positive and negative effects.Conclusion Our review shows that MC users are frequently young or middle-aged men, and that the preferred form of use was smoking. Participants of the included studies reported that MC use was helpful in reducing CMP and other chronic non-cancer pain with only minor adverse effects; in addition, they reported improved psychological well-being. Discussion The information from the included studies has several methodological limitations and is exploratory. MC use might, from the perspective of persistent users suffering from CMP and other chronic non-cancer pain, produce more benefits than harms. However, specific results for CMP are very scarce.

Patient Preferences and the Measurement of Utilities in the Evaluation of Dental Technologies

2002 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 446-450 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Birch ◽  
A.I. Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Life Sciences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Measurement Methods ◽  
Potential Outcomes ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Diagnostic Technology ◽  
Complex Methods

Advances in life sciences that are predicted in the 21st century will present many challenges for health professionals and policy-makers. The major questions will be how to allocate resources to pay for costs of new technologies and who will best benefit from advances in new diagnostic and treatment methods. We review in this paper the concept of utility and how it can be applied and expanded to provide data to help health professionals make decisions that are preferred by patients and the public at large. Utility is a measure of people's well-being or preferences for outcomes. The measurement of utilities of a new diagnostic technology, for example, can be carried out with the use of simple methods that do not incorporate all of the uncertainties and potential outcomes associated with providing the test, or with more complex methods that can incorporate most uncertainties. This review describes and critiques the different measurement methods of utilities.

scholarly journals Spiritual Experience in Dementia From the Health Care Provider Perspective: Implications for Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 465-465
Author(s):  
Jennifer Palmer ◽  
Michelle Hilgeman ◽  
Tracy Balboni ◽  
Sara Paasche-Orlow ◽  
Jennifer Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Spiritual Care ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Experience ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Spiritual Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Spiritual Assessment ◽  
Spiritual Distress ◽  
Linguistic Challenges

Abstract Spiritual care seeks to counter negative outcomes from spiritual distress and is notably needed in dementia. Such care needs disease-appropriate customization. Employing “cognitive apprenticeship” theory’s focus on learning from contrast, we explored spiritual needs salient within dementia as related to other disease states; we aimed to inform future dementia-focused spiritual care design. Accordingly, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 24 providers who serve older adults inclusive of persons with dementia. We sampled participants purposively by discipline (chaplains, nursing staff, social workers, activities professionals) and religious tradition (for chaplains). Our interview guide inquired about the nature of spiritual needs in dementia and stakeholders’ roles in addressing them. Hybrid inductive/deductive thematic analysis was employed. A thematic structure emerged with two themes: 1) spiritual experience in dementia compared to other medical conditions (sub-themes: the salience of (a) fear; (b) loss of self; (c) dementia’s progressive and incurable nature; (d) dementia’s impact on accessing faith); and 2) the need for spiritual intervention at the mild stage of dementia (sub-themes: (a) awareness in mild dementia and its influence on spiritual distress; (b) a window of opportunity). These findings pointed to possibilities for the “what” of spiritual needs and the “who” and “when” of implementing spiritual care. Implications included the imperative for dementia-specific spiritual assessment tools, interventions targeting fear and loss early in the disease, and stakeholder training. Researchers should study the “how” of dementia-appropriate spiritual care given recipients’ cognitive and linguistic challenges. Conjointly, these efforts could promote the spiritual well-being of persons with dementia worldwide.

Person-centred Communications: How do People as Patients Want to be Spoken to?

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 192-196
Author(s):  
Joanna Groves
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Shared Decision Making ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Report ◽  
Shared Decision ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Good Communication ◽  
Health Report

Background:The World Health Organization's (WHO) World Health Report of 2008 titled, “Primary Health Care – Now More Than Ever” put renewed emphasis on the values of achieving health for all and putting people at the centre of healthcare (1).  In order to do this it is necessary to understand what people expect and want from healthcare and pertinent communications so that health systems can be designed that can respond to patients' needs, wishes and preferences. Objectives:To consider the initiatives which are being taken forward by numerous national and global initiatives to further person-centred healthcare and consideration of the evidence for this approach with particular regard to the role of communication in enabling healthcare to meet people's needs, wishes and preferences.  Methods: Review of person-centred healthcare initiatives and evidence for its impact and consideration of principles of person-centred care as they relate to healthcare communications. Results:There is evidence for a person-centred approach to healthcare.  There are fundamental principles relating to how communications can impact on patients being empowered to make informed decisions about their healthcare.  Patient experiences and outcomes are improved when they have the opportunity for their wishes and preferences to inform shared decision-making in mutually trusting and equal partnerships with health professionals about their health and well being. Conclusions:Person-centred healthcare requires communication which enables respect for people's needs, preferences, dignity, values, autonomy and independence. Empowering patients and health professionals so that they can work in partnership to reach an informed decision on what the patient wants and expects from treatment should be the priority for policy-makers, health professionals and patients.  There are some fundamental principles and many tools and initiatives that can support good communication and enable shared decision-making. 

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