Life perceptions of patients receiving palliative care and experiencing psycho-social-spiritual healing.

Background: It is important to identify, from the patients' perspectives, the different factors that contribute toward psycho-social-spiritual healing.

Methods: This was a qualitative study that took place at a large research center, an underserved clinic, and a community hospital. We used a needs assessment questionnaire and open-ended questions to assess the constituents of psycho-social-spiritual healing: (I) how previous life experiences affected patients' present situations in dealing with their illnesses; (II) barriers to palliative care, and (III) benefits of palliative care.