ReviewJournal of general internal medicine2026
Sacred Moments in Healthcare: An Evidence-Based Conceptual Model.
Review in Journal of general internal medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Addressing physician burnout and patients' distrust of healthcare is a priority. To foster more reciprocally healing experiences in healthcare, we provide an evidence-based conceptual model of sacred moments. "Sacred moments" are brief periods in which people experience transcendence, boundlessness, ultimacy, deep interconnectedness, and spiritual emotions. First, we review empirical and interpretive literature, highlighting the value of sacred moments in the context of a whole health (or whole person) approach to healthcare. Sacred moments appear to protect against clinician burnout while promoting meaning in work, well-being, and prosocial engagement. For patients, sacred moments seem to function as a buffer against stress and are associated with well-being, purpose in life, greater satisfaction with care, stronger alliance with clinicians, and mental health improvements. A rationale for the term sacred is provided, drawing conceptual roots from the psychological theory of sanctification. Next, predisposing factors, precipitating factors, process-based factors, and prohibitive factors to sacred moments are summarized. Additionally, a conceptual mapping of related phenomena, such as glimmers, peak experiences, flow states, mystical experiences, and quantum change is provided. Individual and systems applications are subsequently underscored. Recommendations include conducting "Sacred Moment Rounds," partnering with spiritual care, and creating conditions conducive to sacred moments in healthcare. Finally, unresolved issues and future investigative directions are suggested. Potential avenues include expanding sacred moments research to more contexts, identifying novel factors, designing cross-cultural, virtual reality, and imaging studies, and examining the role of sacred moments in healing from psychological trauma.
Indexed as
Identifiers
42243434What OpenQuestion holds
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.