Is It Possible For a Physician To Remain Neutral When Addressing Patients’ Spiritual Concerns?

This blog is the last of a four-part series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall. In a pluralistic society, most authors encourage physicians to remain neutral when addressing their patients’ spiritual concerns.  However, this is based on the assumption [...]

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Does Addressing Spiritual Concerns Threaten Patient Autonomy?

This blog is part three of a series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall.   The power dynamics within the patient-physician relationship have been a topic of many studies and discussions over the past few years.  Power, within relationships, [...]

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Do Physicians Possess the Necessary Competence to Address Their Patients’ Spiritual Concerns?

This blog is part two of a series covering the topic of spirituality and healing in medicine, specifically during end-of-life care, and is based on an article by Curlin Hall.   Competency among physicians is governed by completion of mandatory education within a classroom during medical school, practical demonstration during residency under supervision, and continuous [...]

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Should a patient’s spiritual concerns be addressed by their physician?

I am currently enrolled in a class at Harvard Medical School called “Spirituality and Healing in Medicine” which aims to provide a framework for understanding the spiritual dimension of patients’ lives, as well as spiritual issues that arise during the practice of medicine, specifically during end-of-life care.  This class is comprised of people from a [...]

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Empowering or offending?

One of the most valuable lessons I learned in one of my public health classes was this: When faced with a situation in a cross-cultural setting when nationals are engaging in behavior or practices that are uninformed or questionable, encourage the positive, resolve the negative and leave the neutral alone. Leaving the neutral alone is [...]

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