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The religious/spiritual beliefs and needs of cancer survivors who underwent cancer-directed surgery

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 August 2020

Elizabeth Palmer Kelly ,
Anghela Z. Paredes ,
Stephanie DiFilippo ,
Madison Hyer ,
Diamantis I. Tsilimigras ,
Daniel Rice ,
Junu Bae  and
Timothy M. Pawlik Open the ORCID record for Timothy M. Pawlik [Opens in a new window]
Elizabeth Palmer Kelly
Affiliation:
Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Anghela Z. Paredes
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
Stephanie DiFilippo
Affiliation:
Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Madison Hyer
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
Diamantis I. Tsilimigras
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
Daniel Rice
Affiliation:
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Greensburg, PA
Junu Bae
Affiliation:
The Ohio State University College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
Timothy M. Pawlik*
Affiliation:
Department of Surgery, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH
*
Author for correspondence: Timothy M. Pawlik, Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, 395 W. 12th Ave., Suite 670, Columbus, OH, USA. E-mail: Tim.Pawlik@osumc.edu
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Abstract

Objective

We sought to characterize patients’ preferences for the role of religious and spiritual (R&S) beliefs and practices during cancer treatment and describe the R&S resources desired by patients during the perioperative period.

Method

A cross-sectional survey was administered to individuals who underwent cancer-directed surgery. Data on demographics and R&S beliefs/preferences were collected and analyzed.

Results

Among 236 participants, average age was 58.8 (SD = 12.10) years; the majority were female (76.2%), white (94.1%), had a significant other or spouse (60.2%), and were breast cancer survivors (43.6%). Overall, more than one-half (55.9%) of individuals identified themselves as being religious, while others identified as only spiritual (27.9%) or neither (16.2%). Patients who identified as religious wanted R&S integrated into their care more often than patients who were only spiritual or neither (p < 0.001). Nearly half of participants (49.6%) wanted R&S resources when admitted to the hospital including the opportunity to speak with an R&S leader (e.g., rabbi; 72.1%), R&S texts (64.0%), and journaling materials (54.1%). Irrespective of R&S identification, 68.0% of patients did not want their physician to engage with them about R&S topics.

Significance of results

Access to R&S resources is important during cancer treatment, and incorporating R&S into cancer care may be especially important to patients that identify as religious. R&S needs should be addressed as part of the cancer care plan.

Keywords

CancerPatient-centered careReligion and spiritualitySpiritual care
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 19 , Issue 2 , April 2021 , pp. 175 - 181
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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