ArticleBMJ open2019
Efficacy of an educational intervention on students' attitudes regarding spirituality in healthcare: a cohort study in the USA.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Systematic Review of Global Health Assessment for Education in Healthcare Professions.Annals of global health · 2022Pooled it
- Integrating Spiritual Care Teaching Within the Australian Medical Curriculum.The clinical teacher · 2026Article
- Evaluation of the first edition of the 'Spirituality in medicine' programme implemented for medical students at the Nicolaus Copernicus University, Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Pre- and post-test research.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Cultural competence in United States medical education: a scoping review of implementation and evaluation practices.International journal of medical education · 2026Article
- The Sacred Sites of Houston: A Novel Experiential Course for Undergraduate Medical Education on Religion and Spirituality.Journal of religion and health · 2021Article
- [Spiritual competence in psychiatry and psychotherapy-Barriers and success factors].Der Nervenarzt · 2021Article
- A Survey on the Integration of Spiritual Care in Medical Schools from the German-Speaking Faculties.Advances in medical education and practice · 2019Article
- Psychology Students' Perceptions of COVID-19 in a Death Education Course.Frontiers in public healthArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo determine if an educational intervention focused on the role of spirituality in healthcare positively affects medical students' attitudes and perceptions relating to this topic.
designA pre-post cohort study.
settingAn undergraduate medical institution affiliated with an academic medical center in the USA.
participantsA total of 110 medical students currently on their clinical rotations received the educational intervention, of whom 71 (65%) completed both the presurvey and postsurvey. Demographic variables did not significantly differ from the national average of medical students, or from a comparison group. All students who attended the intervention were given the opportunity to participate in the survey.
interventionsThe educational intervention consisted of a 60-minute lecture focusing on religion/spirituality (R/S) in healthcare, followed by a 90-minute case discussion in a small group setting. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Assessment consisted of 18-item preintervention and postintervention survey quantifying student's attitudes towards, comfort with, and perceptions of R/S in healthcare.
resultsAttitudes towards, comfort with, and perceptions of R/S in healthcare were generally positive preintervention. Following the intervention, students expressed an increased willingness to include R/S competency in their future practice (p=0.001), were more comfortable sharing their own R/S beliefs with a patient when appropriate (p=0.02), and were more willing to approach a patient with R/S concern (p=0.04). The other surveyed attitudes demonstrated positive, but non-significant improvement.
conclusionAn educational intervention focusing on approaching patients with R/S concerns has the ability to improve the attitudes and comfort of medical students. By incorporating a total of 150 minutes of education about R/S, medical schools can help develop this particular area of cultural competence, preparing a generation of physicians to professionally approach R/S concerns of patients. Future research should move beyond quantifying attitudes and strive to understand changes in knowledge and student behaviour.
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Registered trials
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.