OBJECTIVE
To identify patient expectations regarding chaplain visitation, characteristics of
patients who want to be visited by a chaplain, and what patients deem important when
a chaplain visits.
PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS
Three weeks after discharge, 4500 eligible medical and surgical patients from hospitals
in Minnesota, Arizona, and Florida were surveyed by mail to collect demographic information
and expectations regarding chaplain visitation. The survey was conducted during the
following time periods: Minnesota participants, April 6 until April 25, 2006; Arizona
participants, October 16, 2008, until January 13, 2009; Florida participants, October
16, 2008, until January 20, 2009. Categorical variables were summarized with frequencies
or percentages. Associations between responses and site were examined using χ2 tests. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of wanting
chaplain visitation on the basis of patient demographics and perceived importance
of reasons for chaplain visitation.
RESULTS
About one-third of those surveyed responded from each site. Most were male, married,
aged 56 years or older, and Protestant or Catholic. Of the respondents, nearly 70%
reported wanting chaplain visitation, 43% were visited, and 81% indicated that visitation
was important. The strongest predictor of wanting chaplain visitation was denomination
vs no indicated religious affiliation (Catholic: odds ratio [OR], 8.11; 95% confidence
interval [CI], 4.49-14.64; P<.001; evangelical Protestant: OR, 4.95; 95% CI, 2.74-8.91; P<.001; mainline Protestant: OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 2.58-7.29; P<.001). Being female was a weak predictor (OR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.05-2.09; P=.03), as was site. Among the reasons given by respondents for wanting chaplain visitation,
the most important were that chaplains served as reminders of God's care and presence
(OR, 4.37; 95% CI, 2.58-7.40; P<.001) and that they provided prayer or scripture reading (OR, 2.54; 95% CI, 1.53-4.20;
P<.001).
CONCLUSION
The results of this study suggest the importance medical and surgical patients place
on being visited by a chaplain while they are hospitalized. Those who valued chaplains
because they reminded them of God's care and presence and/or because they prayed or
read scripture with them were more likely to desire a visit. Our results also suggest
that being religiously affiliated is a very strong predictor of wanting chaplain visitation.
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Article Info
Footnotes
Financial support included a grant from the Saint Marys Hospital Sponsorship Board and discretionary funds from the Department of Chaplain Services.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
