Michael S. Woods, MD writes in “Culture and Religious Sensitivity: A Pocket Guide for Health Care Professionals” published by The Joint Commission:
“It’s undeniable that understanding a patient’s cultural practices and spiritual beliefs influences not only the delivery of health care in our global society, but also the individual’s outcome and satisfaction…If a patient, because of a cultural or spiritual ‘disconnect’, can’t appreciate what is being prescribed or why it’s necessary, or if the information is delivered in a way that inadvertently frightens, offends, or confuses the patient, how can we fulfill our mission as health care providers?”
As a pharmacist, I’m concerned that we place little emphasis on the care of the person’s ‘spirit’ in diagnosing and treating disease. We’ve concentrated so much on healing the body that we’ve left a vital component out of health care. Studies demonstrate benefit in addressing a patient’s spiritual needs, not just by a chaplain, but by the entire health care team.
Recently, I was lead author on an April 2023 publication: “Spiritual practices and beliefs as a social determinant of health: When will the profession of pharmacy address the whole body-mind-spirit triad?”
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