Background: Little is known about the impact of spiritual caregivers, psychologists, and social workers on desired end-of-life (EoL) medical outcomes, such as reduced use of aggressive care in the final 2 weeks of life, having more time between the last active oncological treatment and death, and increased hospice use.
Patients and methods: We conducted a prospective study of 180 patients with cancer and their families, their interactions with social work, psychology, and spiritual care, and the above three treatment outcomes.
Results: We found that having one or more spiritual care visits (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.02; P = .04), having more quality visits with the psychologist (P = .01), and speaking with someone about one's inner resources (AOR = 2.25; P = .03) all correlated with reduced EoL aggressive care. The key interventions correlating with increased time after final treatment were more visits with the spiritual caregiver or the social worker (AOR = 1.30; P < .001), and speaking about the medical treatment (AOR = 1.54; P < .001) and about interpersonal relationships (AOR = 2.28; P < .001). A subjectively good-quality connection with the spiritual caregiver correlated with increased hospice use (AOR = 10.00; P = .01).
Conclusions: Patients with cancer who availed themselves of the spiritual care, psychology, and social work services, each profession in distinct ways, had significantly different outcomes in their EoL medical treatment, including undergoing fewer futile aggressive measures, having more time after their last active treatment, and using hospice services more. These outcomes directly bear on improved quality of life and reduced costs.
Keywords: chaplaincy service; end-of-life care; oncology; palliative care; psychology; social work.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.