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Effect of a spiritual care training program for staff on patient outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2016

Grace Meijuan Yang ,
Yung Ying Tan ,
Yin Bun Cheung ,
Weng Kit Lye ,
Sock Hui Amy Lim ,
Wan Ru Ng ,
Christina Puchalski  and
Patricia Soek Hui Neo
Grace Meijuan Yang*
Affiliation:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore Lien Centre for Palliative Care, Duke–National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
Yung Ying Tan
Affiliation:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
Yin Bun Cheung
Affiliation:
Duke–National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
Weng Kit Lye
Affiliation:
Duke–National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, Singapore
Sock Hui Amy Lim
Affiliation:
HCA Hospice Care, Singapore
Wan Ru Ng
Affiliation:
HCA Hospice Care, Singapore
Christina Puchalski
Affiliation:
George Washington University, Washington, DC
Patricia Soek Hui Neo
Affiliation:
National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Grace Meijuan Yang, Division of Palliative Medicine, National Cancer Centre–Singapore, 11 Hospital Drive, Singapore 169610. E-Mail: Grace.yang.m.j@singhealth.com.sg.
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Abstract

Objective:

Physicians and nurses do not assess spirituality routinely, even though spiritual care is a vital part of palliative care for patients with an advanced serious illness. The aim of our study was to determine whether a training program for healthcare professionals on spirituality and the taking of a spiritual history would result in improved patient quality of life (QoL) and spiritual well-being.

Method:

This was a cluster-controlled trial of a spiritual care training program for palliative care doctors and nurses. Three of seven clinical teams (clusters) received the intervention, while the other four served as controls. Included patients were newly referred to the palliative care service, had an estimated survival of more than one month, and were aware of their diagnosis and prognosis. The primary outcome measure was the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT–Sp) patient-reported questionnaire, which patients completed at two timepoints. Total FACIT–Sp score includes the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT–G) questionnaire, which measures overall quality of life, as well as a spiritual well-being score.

Results:

Some 144 patients completed the FACIT–Sp at both timepoints—74 in the control group and 70 in the intervention group. The change in overall quality of life, measured by change in FACT–G scores, was 3.89 points (95% confidence interval [CI95%] = –0.42 to 8.19, p = 0.076) higher in the intervention group than in the control group. The difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of change in spiritual well-being was 0.32 (CI95% = –2.23 to 2.88, p = 0.804).

Significance of results:

A brief spiritual care training program can possibly help bring about enhanced improvement of global patient QoL, but the effect on patients' spiritual well-being was not as evident in our participants. Further study with larger sample sizes is needed to allow for more definite conclusions to be drawn.

Keywords

Palliative careSpiritualityQuality of lifeTraining
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 15 , Issue 4 , August 2017 , pp. 434 - 443
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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