What is it about?
Which patients chaplains should see? We compare popular methods of answering this question, including rounding, referrals, and protocol-based systems. Mercy is moving towards identifying clinical indicators to direct spiritual care.
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Why is it important?
Pastoral service department resources are very limited, so selection of patients to see is critical to good use of those resources. Seeing more patients limits depth that can be achieved during visits, but relying on referrals from clinicians for specific needs seems to ask those clinicians to make assessments for which they are not adequately trained. Being able to identify those patients most in need of spiritual care helps maximize the impact of healthcare dollars directed towards spiritual care.
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This page is a summary of: The Priority List: An Evidence-Based Approach to Selecting Patients for Chaplain Visits, Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling Advancing theory and professional practice through scholarly and reflective publications, December 2019, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/1542305019890357.
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