ArticleAnnals of family medicine
An exploratory study of spiritual care at the end of life.
Article in Annals of family medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 128 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the hidden before the end: A phenomenological analysis of forgiveness at the end of life among spiritual caregivers.Palliative medicine · 2026Article
- It Takes a Village: Sources of Spiritual Care in Hospice That Support the Well-being of African-American Hospice Patients and Their Caregivers in the USA.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Factors Influencing Spiritual Care for African Americans in Hospice in the United States: An Exploratory Study of the Perspectives of Their Caregivers, Clergy and Hospice Chaplains.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Spiritual Care Competence in Palliative Care: A Concept Analysis.Journal of religion and health · 2025Article
- Spiritual Care through the Lens of Portuguese Palliative Care Professionals: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Australian Patient Preferences for Discussing Spiritual Issues in the Hospital Setting: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Study.Journal of religion and health · 2024Article
- Pharmacy students' perceived barriers to spiritual care: A qualitative study.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2023Article
- Perceptions and practices of spiritual care among hospice physicians and nurses in a Taiwanese tertiary hospital: a qualitative study.BMC palliative care · 2020Article
- Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the spiritual care competency scale in nursing practice: a methodological study.BMJ open · 2019Article
- The relationship between Iranian patients' perception of holistic care and satisfaction with nursing care.BMC nursing · 2019Article
- Patients' and caregivers' needs, experiences, preferences and research priorities in spiritual care: A focus group study across nine countries.Palliative medicine · 2018Article
- Spiritual Care Therapy on Quality of Life in Cancer Patients and Their Caregivers: A Prospective Non-randomized Single-Cohort Study.Journal of religion and health · 2017Article
- Professional identity at stake: a phenomenological analysis of spiritual counselors' experiences working with a structured model to provide care to palliative cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2016Article
- The Importance of Patient Dignity in Care at the End of Life.The Ulster medical journal · 2016Article
- Going beyond-the-routines view in nursing: a qualitative study.Journal of caring sciences · 2015Article
- Spirituality in palliative home care: a framework for the clinician.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2013Article
- Why is spiritual care infrequent at the end of life? Spiritual care perceptions among patients, nurses, and physicians and the role of training.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2013Article
- A health services framework of spiritual care.Journal of nursing management · 2012Article
- Addressing spirituality within the care of patients at the end of life: perspectives of patients with advanced cancer, oncologists, and oncology nurses.Journal of clinical oncology : official journal of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · 2012Article
- Clergy-laity support and patients' mood during serious illness: a cross-sectional epidemiologic study.Palliative & supportive care · 2011Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
purposeAlthough spiritual care is a core element of palliative care, it remains unclear how this care is perceived and delivered at the end of life. We explored how clinicians and other health care workers understand and view spiritual care provided to dying patients and their family members.
methodsOur study was based on qualitative research using key informant interviews and editing analysis with 12 clinicians and other health care workers nominated as spiritual caregivers by dying patients and their family members.
resultsBeing present was a predominant theme, marked by physical proximity and intentionality, or the deliberate ideation and purposeful action of providing care that went beyond medical treatment. Opening eyes was the process by which caregivers became aware of their patient's life course and the individualized experience of their patient's current illness. Participants also described another course of action, which we termed cocreating, that was a mutual and fluid activity between patients, family members, and caregivers. Cocreating began with an affirmation of the patient's life experience and led to the generation of a wholistic care plan that focused on maintaining the patient's humanity and dignity. Time was both a facilitator and inhibitor of effective spiritual care.
conclusionsClinicians and other health care workers consider spiritual care at the end of life as a series of highly fluid interpersonal processes in the context of mutually recognized human values and experiences, rather than a set of prescribed and proscribed roles.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.