Medical Outcomes of Oncology Inpatients With and Without Chaplain Spiritual Care Visit: The Yale New Haven Hospital Experience

PURPOSE: Although there exists some literature on the psychosocial elements of health between patients with and without spiritual care, less information is available on hospital health outcomes. Hence, we aimed to describe and compare health care utilization and outcomes among medical oncology patients who received and did not receive spiritual care consultation during inpatient admission. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of medical oncology patients admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, to compare hospital outcomes between patients with and without spiritual care. RESULTS: Thirty-one thousand six hundred twenty-three patients were included, of whom 11,053 (35%) received a chaplain spiritual care visit and had a spiritual care note. Patients who received spiritual care were older and sicker. Readmission rates within 30 days were greater in the spiritual care group (OR = 1.07; P = .018). In addition, patients receiving spiritual care were at greater odds of increased length of stay (β = 4.92; P < .0001), intensive care unit admission (OR = 2.98; P < .0001), hospital death (OR = 1.46; P < .0001), and emergency department visit within 30 days of discharge (OR = 1.17; P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Patients who were older and sicker had greater spiritual care utilization than their younger and healthier counterparts. Spiritual care assessment of existential distress, complex grief, and faith-based support may be positively associated not only with patient care and quality of life but also with health care utilization and outcomes.