Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40217458›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2025

Do patients want their spirituality addressed during their hospital journey; a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care center in Lebanon.

Mohammad Assaf, Ali Ahmad, Hanine Atwi, Joseph Habib, Magda Haj, Reham Yehia, Amal C Rahi, Marianne Majdalani

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mohammad AssafFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ali AhmadFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Hanine AtwiFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Joseph HabibFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Magda HajFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Reham YehiaFaculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Amal C RahiDepartment of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Marianne MajdalaniDivision of Pediatric Intensive Care Vice-chair, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Interim Director, Bioethics and Professionalism Program, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon. mn40@aub.edu.lb.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSpirituality (including religiosity) is a powerful concept in Middle Eastern populations for members of all religious affiliations. This study aims to assess the desire of cancer and critically ill adult inpatients to be asked about their spiritual history, the impact their religious and spiritual beliefs have on their medical decisions, and if such beliefs help them cope with their illnesses.

methodsA questionnaire consisting of demographics and spirituality questions was developed and administered to 100 patients in a cross-sectional study. We performed psychometric analysis of the questionnaire through reliability and validity testing including construct validity using PCA with a Promax rotation to define components/constructs. Analysis was performed to study the association between patient characteristics and outcomes.

resultsThe scale was shown to be valid and reliable and can be used to assess spiritual needs in our population of critically ill and cancer patients. 45% of patients wanted to be asked about their spirituality, only 4% had discussed it with their medical team. Christian and Muslim patients were equally likely to want their spiritual history taken. Non-Lebanese patients were 4.8 times more equally likely to want their spiritual history taken and twice more likely to believe that their spirituality helps them cope with their illness compared to Lebanese patients (p < 0.05). Critical care patients as compared to cancer patients, and patients with a lower number of hospital visits during the past year, were significantly more likely to want to be asked about their spirituality (p < 0.05).

conclusionMore structured training of healthcare personnel on addressing spirituality in the cultural context is needed. In our society, advocacy for patients with chronic illness embodies enquiring and addressing their spiritual needs through all the stages of their illness.

Indexed as

SpiritualityAdultAgedCritical IllnessCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansLebanonMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasmsPsychometricsReproducibility of ResultsSurveys and QuestionnairesTertiary Care CentersCancerCritical careHolistic careLebanonReliabilitySpiritualityValidity

Identifiers

PMID40217458
PMCPMC11987462

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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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.