Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia

In recent years there has been growing awareness regarding the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) in the practice of clinical medicine. We aim to assess the beliefs and practises of physicians regarding the role of R/S in clinical practice. Concomitantly, we aim to assess the beliefs of our pat...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf, Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin, Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi, Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Islamic World Academy of Sciences 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/1/RathorTDIENSCGPL47812.pdf
id iium-14558
recordtype eprints
spelling iium-145582014-07-10T04:36:19Z http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/ Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah BP1 Islam R Medicine (General) In recent years there has been growing awareness regarding the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) in the practice of clinical medicine. We aim to assess the beliefs and practises of physicians regarding the role of R/S in clinical practice. Concomitantly, we aim to assess the beliefs of our patients and whether they like to address such issues. Questionnaire based cross sectional study among hospitalized patients and their treating doctors. The majority of patients were male (62.9%), Malay Muslims (75.4%) and had primary (32.5%) or secondary (48.6%) education. Nearly all patients and doctors believed in the existence of God and life after death. Although significant majority of both patients and physicians agreed that religious involvement is associated with improved health, only half of doctors discussed such issues in clinical situations. Three quarters of patients noticed an increase in faith due to illness and similar proportion wanted a religious counsellor to help them rather than a psychiatrist. Only a quarter of physicians agreed with euthanasia, 68% with use of placebo and just 10% with false hope of cure, while among patients only 6.4% agreed with euthanasia and 92% had a hope of cure. Religion is important to many patients and doctors, but more than half doctors ignore it in their clinical practice, a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviour. In conclusion, religion deserves greater attention in the practice of medicine. Key Words: Spirituality, medicine and religion, euthanasia. Islamic World Academy of Sciences 2009 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/1/RathorTDIENSCGPL47812.pdf Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf and Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin and Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi and Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah (2009) Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia. Medical Journal of Islamic World Academy of Sciences, 17 (2). pp. 103-110. ISSN 1016-3360 http://www.medicaljournal-ias.org/Belgelerim/Belge/RathorTDIENSCGPL47812.pdf
repository_type Digital Repository
institution_category Local University
institution International Islamic University Malaysia
building IIUM Repository
collection Online Access
language English
topic BP1 Islam
R Medicine (General)
spellingShingle BP1 Islam
R Medicine (General)
Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf
Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin
Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi
Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah
Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
description In recent years there has been growing awareness regarding the role of religion and spirituality (R/S) in the practice of clinical medicine. We aim to assess the beliefs and practises of physicians regarding the role of R/S in clinical practice. Concomitantly, we aim to assess the beliefs of our patients and whether they like to address such issues. Questionnaire based cross sectional study among hospitalized patients and their treating doctors. The majority of patients were male (62.9%), Malay Muslims (75.4%) and had primary (32.5%) or secondary (48.6%) education. Nearly all patients and doctors believed in the existence of God and life after death. Although significant majority of both patients and physicians agreed that religious involvement is associated with improved health, only half of doctors discussed such issues in clinical situations. Three quarters of patients noticed an increase in faith due to illness and similar proportion wanted a religious counsellor to help them rather than a psychiatrist. Only a quarter of physicians agreed with euthanasia, 68% with use of placebo and just 10% with false hope of cure, while among patients only 6.4% agreed with euthanasia and 92% had a hope of cure. Religion is important to many patients and doctors, but more than half doctors ignore it in their clinical practice, a discrepancy between beliefs and behaviour. In conclusion, religion deserves greater attention in the practice of medicine. Key Words: Spirituality, medicine and religion, euthanasia.
format Article
author Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf
Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin
Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi
Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah
author_facet Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf
Akter, Seikh Farid Uddin
Abdul Rani, Mohammed Fauzi
Mohd Shah, Azarisman Shah
author_sort Rathor, Mohammad Yousuf
title Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
title_short Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
title_full Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
title_fullStr Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in Malaysia
title_sort religion and spirituality in specific clinical situations in medical practice: a cross-sectional comparative study between patients and doctors in a tertiary care hospital in malaysia
publisher Islamic World Academy of Sciences
publishDate 2009
url http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/
http://irep.iium.edu.my/14558/1/RathorTDIENSCGPL47812.pdf
first_indexed 2023-09-18T20:23:44Z
last_indexed 2023-09-18T20:23:44Z
_version_ 1777408278203990016