Chaplaincy Research: Its Value,Its Quality,and Its Future

The article is divided into four major sections, the first of which presents and discusses various reasons given by major researchers in the field why chaplains should do research. The second section summarizes findings on the sophistication of research on religion and health published in (a) medical and other healthcare journals, and (b) specialty journals on religion and health, chaplaincy, and pastoral care and counseling. The third section revisits suggestions that have been made by prominent chaplain researchers to increase and improve research by chaplains. The last section offers some suggestions for expanding several lines of current research in the future, including research: (1) to elucidate the nature of spiritual care chaplains provide to different populations, including patients, families and staff; (2) to assess the prevalence and intensity of patients' spiritual needs and the degree to which they are being met; (3) to identify that subset of patients who are spiritually at risk in terms of having high needs and slow religious resources; (4) to identify the biological causal mechanisms by which religion influences health; and (5) to measure the effectiveness of chaplain interventions.     

A trial of 3 interventions to promote colorectal cancer screening in African Americans

BACKGROUND:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. CRC incidence and mortality rates are higher among blacks than among whites, and screening rates are lower in blacks than in whites. For the current study, the authors tested 3 interventions that were intended to increase the rate of CRC screening among African Americans.

METHODS:

The following interventions were chosen to address evidence gaps in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Guide to Community Preventive Services: one‐on‐one education, group education, and reducing out‐of‐pocket costs. Three hundred sixty‐nine African‐American men and women aged ≥50 years were enrolled in this randomized, controlled community intervention trial. The main outcome measures were postintervention increase in CRC knowledge and obtaining a screening test within 6 months.

RESULTS:

There was substantial attrition: Two hundred fifty‐seven participants completed the intervention and were available for follow‐up 3 months to 6 months later. Among completers, there were significant increases in knowledge in both educational cohorts but in neither of the other 2 cohorts. By the 6‐month follow‐up, 17.7% (11 of 62 participants) of the Control cohort reported having undergone screening compared with 33.9% (22 of 65 participants) of the Group Education cohort (P = .039). Screening rate increases in the other 2 cohorts were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS:

The current results indicated that group education could increase CRC cancer screening rates among African Americans. The screening rate of <35% in a group of individuals who participated in an educational program through multiple sessions over a period of several weeks indicated that there still are barriers to overcome. Cancer 2010. © 2010 American Cancer Society.     

Ethical Issues in the Management of Geriatric Cardiac Patients

Ethical Issue: No participating physician wanted to unilaterally make a decision to terminate the life-support of a mentally incompetent and terminally ill patient .