Key research themes
1. How is spirituality conceptualized and assessed in healthcare settings to effectively address patient needs?
This theme explores the diverse definitions and conceptual frameworks of spirituality within healthcare, the development of instruments and models for assessing spiritual needs, and the implications for clinical practice. Understanding how spirituality is operationalized is crucial for tailoring care that respects patients' existential, cultural, and spiritual dimensions, thus supporting holistic health outcomes.
2. What are healthcare professionals’ practices, barriers, and facilitators in integrating spirituality into patient care across diverse health contexts?
This theme investigates how health professionals perceive, incorporate, and manage spirituality within clinical interactions, including normative practices, preferred communication approaches, and systemic or individual barriers and facilitators. Understanding these factors is essential to enhance patient-centered spiritual care and to develop effective training and institutional policies.
3. What is the role and impact of spirituality in specialized healthcare contexts such as palliative care, chronic illness, and critical care?
Focusing on spirituality’s distinct functions in high-acuity or chronic health conditions, this theme addresses how spiritual care is uniquely integrated, its effects on patient quality of life and coping, and the perspectives of patients, families, and specialist care providers. Insights here inform tailored spiritual interventions and interdisciplinary collaboration.