Spiritual distress and spiritual care in advanced heart failure.

Heart Fail Rev

School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University's Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), George Washington University School of Medicine, 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.

Published: September 2017

As patients face serious and chronic illness, they are confronted with the realities of dying. Spiritual and existential issues are particularly prominent near the end of life and can result in significant distress. It is critical that healthcare professionals know how to address patients' and families' spiritual concerns, diagnose spiritual distress and attend to the deep suffering of patients in a way that can result in a better quality of life for patients and families. Tools such as the FICA spiritual history tool help clinicians invite patients and families to share their spiritual or existential concerns as well as sources of hope and meaning which can help them cope better with their illness. This article presents ways to help clinicians listen to the whole story of the patient and support patients in their care.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10741-017-9635-2DOI Listing

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