Most clinicians agree that spiritual care is “essential” to taking care of patients with cancer, but only a fraction routinely screen for distress.
In a survey of nearly 700 oncologists, hematologists and palliative care clinicians, more than 90% agreed spiritual suffering can negatively affect outcomes, yet many of those respondents reported screening should not be part of their professional role, and less than 15% said they always screened for spiritual distress.
“If the goal of treatment is healing or prolonging survival with a good quality of life, for patients who request it, spiritual