Physicians’ religiosity and attitudes towards patients
Journal Title: Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine - Year 2012, Vol 19, Issue 3
Abstract
Background: Many religions underline the value of merciful acts, especially the care of the sick. The aim of the survey was to verify the hypothesis that a higher religiosity correlates with a more desirable ethical attitude towards patients.Method: An anonymous questionnaire consisting of standardized tools: Scale of Attitudes towards the Patient (SAtP) (four dimensions: respect for autonomy, altruism, empathy and holistic approach to a patient), the Scale of Religious Attitudes (SReAt) evaluating the religiosity, and some questions related to the role of religious beliefs in respondents’ professional lives. The research was carried out on a group of 528 Polish physicians, 324 of whom returned the questionnaire (return = 61%); 51% women, 49% men; average work experience: 17.03 years; 93% Catholics.Results: Religiosity correlates positively with altruism (r=0.12; p<0.05), holistic approach (r=0.18; p<0.01) and empathy (r=0.20; p<0.01), but not with respect for autonomy. For the majority of physicians, religious faith is an important supportive factor, especially in making difficult decisions. Surgeons are less religious (M=5.32; SD=1.06) than non-surgeons (M=5.61; SD=0.93); (t= -2.59, p<0.05).Conclusion: Physicians’ religiosity is an essential factor shaping their attitude towards patients. The majority of physicians declared that their religious faith influences their professional decisions, especially in difficult situations. The religiosity variable explains physicians’ moral attitude better than the denomination (religious affiliation) variable. Physician-patient relation frameworks should take into account not only patients’ but also physicians’ cultural and religious beliefs.
Authors and Affiliations
Jakub Pawlikowski, Jarosław Sak, Krzysztof Marczewski
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP80500
- DOI -
- Views 133
- Downloads 0
Seasonal activity of millipedes (Diplopoda) – their economic and medical significance
The millipede [i]Brachydesmus superus[/i] Latzel, [i]Polydesmus inconstans[/i] Latzel (Diplopoda: Polydesmida) and [i]Kryphioiulus occultus[/i] C. L. Koch (Diplopoda: Julida) were collected from compost in gardens in Lub...
Hantavirus RNA not detected in [i]Ixodes ricinus[/i] ticks
A total of 174 unfed[i] Ixodes ricinus[/i] ticks (104 nymphs, 36 males, and 34 females) collected in the Roztocze National Park in eastern Poland were examined by the PCR and nested PCR methods for the presence of hanta...
Seroprevalence of Lyme disease and genospecies of [i]Borrelia burgdorferi[/i] sensu lato in patients diagnosed with borreliosis in the Province of Warmia-Masuria in north-eastern Poland
Between 2009-2010, a group of 259 patients suspected of contracting Lyme disease were examined in the Provincial Sanitary-Epidemiological Station in Olsztyn for the presence of IgM and IgG against specific [i]Borrelia bu...
Reporting rates for cervical screening in the Szczecin Region during the period 2007–2010
In Poland, the incidence of cervical cancer remains on the level of the mean value observed in the regions of Eastern and Central Europe; however, it is higher than in Western Europe. The effects of performance of prophy...
Intensification of anxiety and depression, and personal resources among women during the peri-operative period
Aim. Surgical treatment of women due to gynaecological disorders is the cause of stress and may lead to psychological changes. Studies concerning human response to stress emphasize the importance of the effect of the lev...