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BMC Palliative Care

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Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

A national study of chaplaincy services and end-of-life outcomes

Authors: Kevin J Flannelly, Linda L Emanuel, George F Handzo, Kathleen Galek, Nava R Silton, Melissa Carlson

Published in: BMC Palliative Care | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

Background

Medicine has long acknowledged the role of chaplains in healthcare, but there is little research on the relationship between chaplaincy care and health outcomes. The present study examines the association between chaplaincy services and end-of-life care service choices.

Methods

HealthCare Chaplaincy purchased the AHA survey database from the American Hospital Association. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care database was provided to HealthCare Chaplaincy by The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy & Clinical Practice, with the permission of Dartmouth Atlas Co-Principal Investigator Elliot S. Fisher, M.D., M.P.H. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care is available interactively on-line at http://www.dartmouthatlas.org/. Patient data are aggregated at the hospital level in the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care. IRB approval was not sought for the project because the data are available to the public through one means or another, and neither database contains data about individual patients, i.e. all the variables are measures of hospital characteristics. We combined and analyzed data from the American Hospital Association’s Annual Survey and outcome data from The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care in a cross-sectional study of 3,585 hospitals. Two outcomes were examined: the percent of patients who (1) died in the hospital, and (2) were enrolled in hospice. Ordinary least squares regression was used to measure the association between the provision of chaplaincy services and each of the outcomes, controlling for six factors associated with hospital death rates.

Results and discussion

The analyses found significantly lower rates of hospital deaths (β = .04, p < .05) and higher rates of hospice enrollment (β = .06, p < .001) for patients cared for in hospitals that provided chaplaincy services compared to hospitals that did not.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that chaplaincy services may play a role in increasing hospice enrollment. This may be attributable to chaplains’ assistance to patients and families in making decisions about care at the end-of-life, perhaps by aligning their values and wishes with actual treatment plans. Additional research is warranted.

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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/11/10/prepub

Title: A national study of chaplaincy services and end-of-life outcomes
Authors: Kevin J Flannelly
Linda L Emanuel
George F Handzo
Kathleen Galek
Nava R Silton
Melissa Carlson
Publication date: 01-12-2012
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Palliative Care / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1472-684X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-684X-11-10

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

A national study of chaplaincy services and end-of-life outcomes

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results and discussion

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results and discussion

Conclusions

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