PHYSICIANS’ KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PATIENTS’ RELIGIOUS BELIEFS IN PEDIATRIC CARE

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among pediatricians and pediatric residents at a tertiary-level children’s hospital in the city of São Paulo, SP, Brazil, questioning about their knowledge and experience related to spiritual care and the most common religious beliefs among pediatric palliative care patients in Brazil.

Results:

116 physicians answered the questionnaire, 98 (84.5%) considered themselves religious, defined as followers of any spiritual creed around the world, and 18 (15.5%) non-religious. Of the total, 97 (83.6%) considered themselves capable of dealing with the spiritual care of Catholic patients, 49 (42.2%) of Protestant patients and 92 (79.3%) of patients that follow Spiritism in the process of death. Religious doctors used less chaplaincy services than non-religious doctors (relative risk - RR 2.54; p=0.0432; confidence interval of 95% - 95%CI 1.21-5.34). Among the physicians, 111 (96%) believe that spirituality is beneficial in accepting the death process, responses were associated with the religiosity of the physicians (RR 1.18; p=0.0261; 95%CI 0.95-1.45). Also, 106 (91.4%) are unaware of the religion of their patients and the same number of participants consider pediatricians, in general, unprepared to deal with the spiritual aspect of death. These data are not associated with the participants’ religiosity.

Conclusions:

Although most pediatricians and residents consider themselves able to deal with the most prevalent religions in Brazil and affirm that spirituality is beneficial during the death process, little importance is given to the spiritual identity of their patients, which could limit an appropriate approach to their death process.

Keywords:
Religion; Spirituality; Palliative care; Child

Questions*
1. Do you have any religion?
2. If so, which one?
3. Do you know the meaning of death according to your religion?
4. Do you know the fate of individuals after their death according to your religion?
5. Do you know the religion of all of your patients?
6. Do you think religion often helps patients and their families “accept” the dying process or “reject” it?
7. Do you believe that religion relieves the child and their family’s suffering in palliative care?
8. Have you requested help from the chaplaincy service at the hospital where you work?
9. Do you know the meaning of death according to Catholicism?
10. Do you know the meaning of death according to Protestantism?
11. Do you know the meaning of death according to Spiritism?
12. Do you know the meaning of death according to Umbanda?
13. Do you know the meaning of death according to Jehovah’s Witness?
14. Do you know the meaning of death according to Judaism?
15. Would you know how to comfort a Catholic patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
16. Would you know how to comfort a Protestant patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
17. Would you know how to comfort a Spiritist patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
18. Would you know how to comfort a Umbanda patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
19. Would you know how to comfort a Jehovah’s Witness patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
20. Would you know how to comfort a Jewish patient using your knowledge of religion and going beyond explaining about death and one’s fate after death?
21. Do you think pediatricians and pediatric residents, in general, are prepared to deal with the spiritual aspect of the death of their patients?
22. In your opinion, do you think that a course that teaches about different religions and how to approach them should be instituted in medical undergraduate programs?

Sociedade de Pediatria de São Paulo R. Maria Figueiredo, 595 - 10o andar, 04002-003 São Paulo - SP - Brasil, Tel./Fax: (11 55) 3284-0308; 3289-9809; 3284-0051 - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rpp@spsp.org.br

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[1] *Corresponding author. E-mail: lucasnaufel@icloud.com (L. Naufel).