Original Article

End-of-Life Issues and Spiritual Histories

Authors: Dana E. King, MD, Brian J. Wells, MD

Abstract

Background Patients facing end-of-life issues have spiritual concerns that may have an impact on their medical decision-making. Methods To determine whether physicians address spiritual concerns in this context, we reviewed the charts of 92 elderly hospitalized patients facing decisions regarding resuscitation status or feeding tube placement. Results The average age of the participants was 72.4 years and 51% of them were female. Only 6.5% of the patients had spiritual histories documented in their charts; 29% had either a spiritual history or some mention of chaplain or psychiatrist involvement. Conclusion Spiritual concerns of many patients facing end-of-life decisions are not being addressed.

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