"Religion isn't often talked about in medicine, but should it be?" Dr. Klitzman talks about his experience as an intern and how he was shocked when he heard a senior psychiatrist tell a patient that he would pray for her. He had never heard words such as these uttered by a doctor, which does not surprise me. However, he began to reconsider his spirituality when the roles switched, and he became the patient. He saw that it really helped throughout his healing process, and other doctors also seemed to agree with this.
I thought this was a really interesting point because I think that in a profession where your goal is always to help others, it is beneficial to put yourself in their shoes. Science is the most direct way to heal patients and is obviously the most important tactic that doctors use. However, there are other ways that have proved beneficial to patients; to a very religious patient who is not responding to treatment, sometimes a spiritual boost can show signs of improvement or even recovery. Doctors should keep in mind things that are important to the patient because this a way for them to connect with their patient. Small gestures such as the words, "I will pray for you," can help a patient's morale and well-being which is the first step on the road to recovery.
Monday, March 24, 2008
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7 comments:
This article shows how doctors need to be able to break through various barriers to communicate with their patients. Getting 'inside their head' and being able to make the patient feel that you, the doctor, are identifying and relating with them really makes a difference. Perhaps this can fall under the category of a little more than bedside manner that we talked about in class.
I remember reading somewhere, that simply believing in things like being healed can dramatically affect your chances. In Daniel Goleman's book, Social Intelligence, he talks about how people affect each other's actual physiology. Making that connection with patients is very important. If they believe that the doctor has 'faith' that they could get better, and is calling on the patients protector to heal them, this could give people comfort.
I have a hunch that this method could also work for those who have turned away from organized religion as well. Knowing that the doctor, a higher power of sorts, seems to be actively trying to get you better on a different, and more spiritual level, has been known to cure both the bodies and souls of the patients.
I agree with Ordessia. Health care systems need to break through many barriers, including religious and cultural barriers. I am actually taking a class right now in medical anthropology and we focus on issues like this. The idea of integrating religion and health is often rejected in principle because of its superficiality (and negative influences on health care in the past), but many feel like religion is in one way, a mediator or facilitator of hope. Don't we have priests or rabbis at our funerals? Hospitals are only a step before, sort of. So if a family request that a religious official come and pray for their hospitalized loved one then thats cool as long as it is not stressed on unwanting other.
I believe in occasional miracles where that person is comatose and few prayers get their brain pumping.
For religious patients/doctors, incorporating religion and health might be an excellent way to increase positive attitudes held by the two parties, and the positive attitude could allow for increased strength needed to overcome/get through hard times. Obviously, the flip side being that for those with no interest in religion, this may not be an effective method. So, I see no problem with incorporating religion and health in cases where the patient (more so than the doctor) is ok with it.
Integrating health and religion involves the doctor getting to know the patient first. Today, there are many people who don't believe in any organized religion and therefore, that phrase would only anger them. Also, because patients aren't used to doctors making such statements, they could get scared, instead of more peaceful, of such a statement, thinking that the doctor believes they will die.
Alternative medicine acts on the principle of spirituality, using spiritual practices that help people relax and thus, in many cases, feel better. Also, through a test with water crystallization, when positive things were said in front of water, it made beautiful crystals while negativity formed dirty, broken crystals. Therefore, the right person, a phrase like "I will pray for you" can really help, since it can be viewed positively (and most of our body is water) and can help strengthen the patient/doctor bond.
After reading this article, I believe that there were several misconceptions. First, it seemed as if some of the readers (who posted at the bottom of the article) were under the impression that prayer was being used arbitrarily, and as an alternative to some sort of medical treatment. I believe the point that Dr. Klitzman is trying to make is that prayer can be used as a supplement to those who are already religious.
Thus, unless a patient shows signs of belonging to a particular faith, or shows spiritual inclinations (for example, a cross in the room, a star of David necklace, etc.), the doctor would most likely not offer the “I’ll pray for you” statement. In this case, Dr. Klitzman noticed a doctor offering this advice to a Latina woman. It could be that the Doctor either knew the women was religious (Catholicism is a large facet of Hispanic culture), or was tipped off by family members.
Before my (not very religious) grandmother passed away due to Leukemia last year, spirituality helped her cope with her illness. In the general hustle and bustle of New York Presbyterian, her doctors were competent yet lacked the informal relationship that would have made her more at ease. A simple “my prayers are with you” would have certainly meant the world to her. My grandmother eventually was able to talk to a Rabbi (my family is Catholic but a priest was unavailable), which according to my mother, had a significant reassuring effect on my grandmother, allowing her peace in her final days. Thus, I agree with Dr. Klitzman when he states “My view is that prayer and faith give vital strength that can help patients cope.”
Using religious values, views, or beliefs in the medical field could be just the spark you need to get through to a patient. As the other posts have commented, doctors need to find new ways to continue breaking through barries that separate the doctor and the patient. Utilizing religious values can even overcome problems like a lack of science literacy.
Many people who go into doctors offices or are in hospitals are completely unaware of what is being told to them and happening in their bodies. They lack the scientific understanding about what is ailing them and the procedures that are necessary to help heal them.
If a doctor needs to speak of scripture and prayer to find a similar wavelength for a patient to understand it, then by all means use it. All too often, bedside care, manners, and comminucation fall by the wayside because doctors, through their fault or the patients, are incapable of communicating treatments to their patients.
Also, speaking of religion may heighten a patients morale. There are stories all the time of patients who are too depressed to follow the treatment plans they are given. There's tellings of patients who have had surgery to repair their legs but are too heartstricken to get out of bed and try them. If it takes a doctor turn apostle to get this patient moving, who is to say they shouldn't do this?
If it is in the patient's best interest, to hell with religious boundaries. To hell with practices that you cannot say the word "God" or "Prayer" in front of a patient. It is the doctor's reponsibility to get through to his/her patient any way they seem fit.
"Prayer, Faith and Doctors" is a moving article that introduces the presence of faith in its aid to heal patients. The words "I will pray for you" create a sense of communication between patient and doctor far more emotionally engaging than medical talk. The phrase lifts a patients' spirits as they know they have more on their side so to speak. The notion for the patient to think positively about their situation allows them to be at a more comfortable state. As a result their bodies are able to respond more quickly and heal faster, evidentally.
For many people religion plays a vital part in their lives and thus such faithful comments from doctor to patient are only in efforts to help. I personally have no problem for such comments and in fact support such acts from doctor to patient. Anything to further aid an individuals' recovery must be taken into consideration in order to heal.
Great article!
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