A Statement on the Role and Qualifications of Health Care Chaplains for Research and Quality

Abstract

Context: This statement fills a significant gap in the efforts to demonstrate outcomes of the chaplaincy role in health care and to provide direction for quality measurement related to spiritual care as a key domain of serious illness care.

Objectives: The objective of this project was to develop the first major consensus statement on the role and qualifications of health care chaplains in the Unites States.

Methods: The statement was developed by a diverse panel of highly regarded professional chaplains and nonchaplain stakeholders.

Results: The document provides guidance to chaplains and other spiritual care stakeholders as they further integrate spiritual care in health care and conduct research and quality improvement efforts to strengthen the evidence base for practice. The consensus statement is in Fig. 1 and available at https://www.spiritualcareassociation.org/role-of-the-chaplain-guidance.html.

Conclusion: This statement can potentially drive the standardization and alignment of all phases of health care chaplaincy preparation and practice.

Keywords: Chaplaincy; outcomes; quality; spiritual care.