Establishing the Chaplain Role in a Primary Care Clinic Setting

Recruiting

• Conditions: Emotional Disorder

• Registration Number: NCT06225219
• Lead Sponsor: Methodist Health System

Brief Summary

In 2019, a full-time chaplain was placed in the Golden Cross Academic Clinic (GCAC), with the chaplain's focus being in the primary care internal medicine department. While research exists regarding chaplains in the inpatient setting, research regarding the presence of a full-time chaplain in a primary care setting as well as the topics patients discuss with that chaplain are limited.

Detailed Description

A few studies conducted in the hospital setting have shown what topics patients typically discuss with a chaplain. In the article, "Patients and Loved Ones' Expectations of Chaplain Services. Munchausen and colleagues present that the two highest-rated services performed by chaplains were spiritual and emotional support. This study also found that patients wanted to see a chaplain for the following reasons: to be listened to, to be with in times of anxiety, to offer support to loves ones, to remind of God's care and presence, to pray, for religious rituals, to assist with the understanding of advance care planning documents, and to counsel regarding moral or ethical decisions.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-06-20
• Study First Submitted: 2023-11-13
• Status Verified: 2024-01
• Study First Submitted QC: 2024-01-16
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-01-16
• Study First Posted: 2024-01-25
• Last Update Posted: 2024-01-25
• Primary Completion: 2024-06-20
• Study Completion: 2024-06-24

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 300

Inclusion Criteria

• • Patient at the GCAC who are > 18 years old

  • Met with a member of the on-staff chaplaincy during a visit to GCAC

Exclusion Criteria

• • Patient did not meet with a member of the on-staff chaplaincy during a visit to GCAC

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of meetings/conversations pertaining to each theme identified	1 year	Theme identified for the number of meetings/conservations
Number of times chaplain is requested by patient or provider	1 year	Number of request from the patients or provider for chaplain
Usefulness, feasibility, and reception of screening mechanism for GCAC staff	1 year	Develop a screening mechanism that allow GCAC staff to identify patients who could benefit from spiritual and emotional support.
Themes discussed during meeting between chaplain and patient	1 year	Explore themes from patient conversations with a chaplain

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Methodist Dallas Medical Center; 🇺🇸 Dallas, Texas, United States