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A Staff Dialogue on Caring for an Intensely Spiritual Patient: Psychosocial Issues Faced By Patients, Their Families, and Caregivers

Hematology-Oncology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence: Bruce A. Chabner, M.D., Hematology-Oncology, Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Cox Building, Room 640, 100 Blossom Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2617, USA. Telephone: 617-724-3200; Fax: 617-724-3166; e-mail: chabner.bruce{at}mgh.harvard.edu

The Schwartz Center Rounds are a monthly multidisciplinary forum, at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), in which caregivers discuss a specific patient with cancer and the important psychosocial issues faced by the patient, family, and caregivers. This forum allows caregivers to reflect on their experiences with patients and to gain support and insight from their fellow staff members.

The following case discussion was addressed at the September 1997 Schwartz Center Rounds. M.R. was a 45-year-old woman who developed ovarian carcinoma and was subsequently treated at MGH. She was a deeply religious woman and believed that God would cure her cancer. Her religious views profoundly influenced her decisions related to further care and her ability to accept what staff felt to be a realistic assessment of her condition and progress. At the rounds, staff members struggled with many issues, including whether M.R. should continue her treatment at MGH or return home to Puerto Rico. Staff found it challenging to discuss a sensitive topic—such as spirituality—with a patient, especially when the patient was from a different cultural background. One of the most striking outcomes of the rounds was the diversity of staff views regarding how they advocated addressing spirituality with a patient. Staff concluded that discussion of spirituality—while challenging—can meaningfully enhance the caregiver-patient relationship.

Key Words. Cancer • Spiritual • Psychosocial • Palliative care • Caregivers • Chemotherapy

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A Staff Dialogue on Caring for an Intensely Spiritual Patient: Psychosocial Issues Faced By Patients, Their Families, and Caregivers

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