The Differential Effects of Chaplain Interventions on Patient Satisfaction

Abstract

There is an acute need to define the specific skills that make chaplains integral to the healthcare team. This prospective study attempts to identify those skills that may be specific to chaplains, for whom no other member of the health care team has similar training, and to examine if these skills have a differential effect on patient satisfaction. A total of 59 interventions were identified and grouped into 10 categories by focus groups comprised of chaplains. Subsequently, Principal Component Analysis yielded two independent variables; Component 1 representing the “Religious/Spiritual” dimension, and Component 2 representing the “Psychosocial” dimension of chaplains’ work. The two components were used in an OLS regression model to measure patient satisfaction. Interventions that comprise the “Religious/Spiritual” dimension may be considered to be specific skills that chaplains contribute to patient care and these have a slightly stronger correlation with patient satisfaction than the interventions of the “Psychosocial” dimension.

KEYWORDS:

• chaplain skills
• patient satisfaction
• principal component analysis
• psychosocial dimension
• religious/spiritual dimension

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Electronic health record data were provided by Ms. Stacy Cohen, Department of Clinical Informatics, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York. Reference preparation was provided by Mr. Barnaby Nicolas MSIS, Gustave L. and Janet W. Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.