WASHINGTON (Jan. 10, 2012)--Christina Puchalski, M.D. '94, RESD '97, director of the George Washington University Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish) and professor of Medicine in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences recently co-authored a report in The Journal of Religion and Health titled “Spirituality in Medical Education: Global Reality?” The report examines existing literature and studies that deal with the incorporation of spirituality in medical education and to list the most scientifically productive countries in this field.
Thirty-eight articles were evaluated for the report, the majority coming from medical schools in Canada and the United States. These articles were then separated into five categories: education and implementation of spirituality courses in medical education; education and implementation of spirituality courses in medical residency, post-graduation and specialists; spiritual aspects from medical students, residents, and teachers; and ways to incorporate spirituality materials into medical school curricula and reasons for this incorporation.
“Spirituality is broadly defined as the way people find meaning in life and a way they experience connection to something significant or sacred” said Dr. Puchalski. “More and more countries are approaching us because they recognize the importance of a whole person-centered approach to care, as the basis of compassionate healthcare. They want to find ways to integrate spirituality and health into medical school curricula.”
In 1992 the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences became the first medical school to develop a course in spirituality and health that became part of the required curriculum. Shortly after, Dr. Puchalski directed a program that began giving competitive grants to other medical schools. This program later formed the basis for developing the first University chartered Institute in Spirituality and Health (GWish) in the country. Most recently, GWish helped develop national competencies with experts from around the country to help standardize the curricula. As a result, most of the medical schools in the US have spirituality materials integrated into their curricula.
Based on their review of existing literature, the researchers found that a predominance of studies related to health/medicine and spirituality in US and Canadian medical schools. Few studies were found in Europe, Latin America and Asia, and there is a lack of research regarding this field in Africa and Australia. New studies and curriculum development in spirituality and health outside North America are needed to further investigate the role of spirituality and health globally and how best to address this important issue in global medical education and clinical care.
