ArticlePloS one2022
Discussing spiritual health in primary care and the HOPE tool-A mixed methods survey of GP views.
Article in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- What has been used to improve patients' spiritual health in primary care: A realist review.The European journal of general practice · 2026Review
- FICA and HOPE in Clinical Care: A Narrative Review Comparing 2 Spiritual Screening Tools Used by Physicians.The Permanente journal · 2026Review
- "We Don't Normally Go Down This Avenue; This Is Normally Taboo": Using Co-Design to Develop a Training Intervention for Spiritual Health in Primary Care.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- What is 'Spiritual Health'? A Survey of Social Prescribers in the United Kingdom.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- A Qualitative Study of Strength, Hope, and Meaning: Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives on Spiritual Care for Breast Cancer.Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP · 2026Article
- Discussing spiritual health in primary care and the HOPE tool - a survey of social prescribers.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- 'Obviously, you can't outright ask': what are the barriers and facilitators to discussion of spiritual health within social prescribing? A study using semi-structured interviews.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- 'This is the core of what we do': a qualitative study of social prescribers' attitudes towards spiritual health training and their future training needs.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Evaluation of the HOPE spiritual assessment model: a scoping review of international interest, applications and studies over 20+ years.BMC palliative care · 2025Article
- Spiritual well-being as a protective factor for endothelial dysfunction in clinically healthy adults.PloS one · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC) and Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) require doctors to consider spiritual health in their consultations. There are documented barriers to discussion of spiritual health, and suggested tools to help overcome them.
aimTo investigate how comfortable general practitioners (GPs) feel about discussing spiritual health in the consultation, and whether a structured tool (the HOPE tool) would be helpful. DESIGN AND
settingA mixed-methods online survey completed by GPs in England.
methodA mixed methods online survey of practicing GPs in England asked about current comfort with the topic of spiritual health and use of spiritual history-taking tools. The acceptability of the HOPE tool was investigated using patient vignettes drawn from clinical practice.
results177 GPs responded. 88 (49.71%) reported that they were comfortable asking patients about spiritual health. GPs felt most comfortable raising the topic after a patient cue (mean difference between pre and post cue 26%). The HOPE tool was viewed as acceptable to use with patients by 65% of participants, although its limitations were acknowledged. Qualitative data showed concerns about regulator (the GMC) and peer disapproval were major barriers to discussions, especially in the case of discordance between patient and doctor background.
conclusionOnly half of GPs are comfortable discussing spiritual health. Dedicated training, using a structured approach, with regulatory approval, may help overcome barriers to GPs discussing spiritual health. Further research into the benefits, and risks, of discussion of spiritual health in the GP consultation is recommended.
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