The Role of the Doctor in Spiritual Care

Doctors have a prominent role in patient care at the end of life, and patients express interest in having their doctor ask them about their spirituality as part of holistic patient care. However, this is done infrequently. The most significant barriers to including spirituality in the medical consultation are insufficient knowledge and training. Engagement with spirituality in the healthcare setting can have a positive impact on both the doctor and the patient. In this chapter, instruction on how to engage in spiritual care expands on the findings from a study of physicians from Australia and New Zealand who had experience in caring for advanced cancer patients. They described a delicate, skilful, and individualised procedure where the doctor can start to get to know the patient and encourage them to discuss their most important concerns. It was described as a way to provide a ‘safe space’ in which to discuss intimate topics.