Creating healing environments

Health Prog. 2006 May-Jun;87(3):30-5.

Abstract

In 2004 two organizations, the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, Washington, DC, and the Supportive Care Coalition: Pursuing Excellence in Palliative Care, Portland, OR, collaborated in an experiment seeking antidotes to the depersonalization of health care. Their "Hospital-Based Spirituality Initiative: Creating Healing Environments" was intended to achieve two objectives: First, to develop and test strategies that encourage clinical caregivers to attend to patients' spiritual concerns; and, second, to better understand the organizational values and infrastructure that support increasing the spiritual care that caregivers provide. The initiative was conducted in five faith-based hospitals and two secular hospitals. Evaluation of the data indicated that the initiative was success for patients and caregivers.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • District of Columbia
  • Health Facility Environment*
  • Hospitals / standards*
  • Humans
  • Oregon
  • Organizational Culture
  • Palliative Care / standards*
  • Pastoral Care*
  • Professional-Patient Relations
  • Spirituality*
  • United States