ABSTRACT
Effectively integrating spirituality into clinical practice involves an understanding of the possible levels of involvement, as well as acquiring certain clinical skills and attitudes. Several barriers have prevented the routine incorporation of spirituality into medical care, including the mind-body perspective that excludes spiritual factors and related considerations from clinical skills. The preceding chapters have discussed the rationale for adding spirituality to the biopsychosocial model and have provided information to enhance knowledge and clinical care. Patients’ religious and spiritual beliefs have been found to affect perception of illness (Chapter 3), health outcomes, including mortality (Chapter 4), and decision making about care at the end of life (Chapter 9). Several methods of taking a spiritual history have been presented (Chapter 6), and ethical aspects of spiritual involvement have been considered (Chapter 7). The goal of this chapter is to assist the learner in overcoming the barriers to the integration of spirituality into clinical practice.
