Impacts of Religious Beliefs on Patient Care Decision Making

Impacts of Religious Beliefs on Patient Care Decision Making

Religious beliefs can have a significant effect on a patient’s healthcare decision-making. They may influence patients’ choices about their medical treatment and shape their understanding of what is acceptable or not in healthcare practices. One example is the refusal of certain medical treatments. Some religious beliefs prohibit medical treatments like blood transfusions, organ transplantation, or vaccines. For instance, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that the Bible prohibits the acceptance of blood transfusions. They view this as a form of eating blood, which is forbidden in the Bible (Shahin et al., 2019). Thus, they may refuse blood transfusions even if it is necessary to save their lives.

Another example is end-of-life decisions. Different religious beliefs hold varying views on end-of-life decisions like euthanasia, resuscitation, and withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments. For instance, some Christians believe in the sanctity of life and that only God has the right to end a life. Therefore, they may refuse euthanasia or the withdrawal of life support (Krikorian et al., 2020). On the other hand, some Hindus believe in reincarnation and view death as a natural part of life’s cycle, which may influence their end-of-life decisions differently.

Most importantly, Healthcare providers must respect their patient’s religious beliefs and values when making healthcare decisions. Providers should also educate themselves about their patients’ religious beliefs and understand how these beliefs may influence their healthcare decisions (Shahin et al., 2019). This helps provide patient-centered care and builds trust between the provider and the patient. Conclusively, religious beliefs can play a significant role in shaping a patient’s healthcare decision-making. Understanding and respecting these beliefs can help healthcare providers provide quality care and support to their patients.

References

Krikorian, A., Maldonado, C., & Pastrana, T. (2020). Patient’s perspectives on the notion of a good death: a systematic review of the literature. Journal of pain and symptom management, 59(1), 152-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2019.07.033

Shahin, W., Kennedy, G. A., & Stupans, I. (2019). The impact of personal and cultural beliefs on medication adherence of patients with chronic illnesses: a systematic review. Patient preference and adherence, 1019-1035.

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Impacts of Religious Beliefs on Patient Care Decision Making

How would religious beliefs shape a patient’s healthcare decision-making? Provide two examples that would demonstrate this.