PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Lois Ramondetta AU - Alaina Brown AU - Gwyn Richardson AU - Diana Urbauer AU - Premal H. Thaker AU - Harold G. Koenig AU - Jacalyn B. Gano AU - Charlotte Sun TI - Religious and Spiritual Beliefs of Gynecologic Oncologists May Influence Medical Decision Making AID - 10.1097/IGC.0b013e31820ba507 DP - 2011 Apr 01 TA - International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer PG - 573--581 VI - 21 IP - 3 4099 - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/21/3/573.short 4100 - http://ijgc.bmj.com/content/21/3/573.full SO - Int J Gynecol Cancer2011 Apr 01; 21 AB - Background Religious (R) and spiritual (S) beliefs often affect patients' health care decisions, particularly with regard to care at the end of life. Furthermore, patients desire more R/S involvement by the medical community; however, physicians typically do not incorporate R/S assessment into medical interviews with patients. The effects of physicians' R/S beliefs on willingness to participate in controversial clinical practices such as medical abortions and physician-assisted suicide has been evaluated, but how a physician's R/S beliefs may affect other medical decision-making is unclear.Methods Using SurveyMonkey, an online survey tool, we surveyed 1972 members of the International Gynecologic Oncologists Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists to determine the R/S characteristics of gynecologic oncologists and whether their R/S beliefs affected their clinical practice. Demographics, religiosity, and spirituality data were collected. Physicians were also asked to evaluate 5 complex case scenarios.Results Two hundred seventy-three (14%) physicians responded. Sixty percent "agreed" or "somewhat agreed" that their R/S beliefs were a source of personal comfort. Forty-five percent reported that their R/S beliefs ("sometimes," "frequently," or "always") play a role in the medical options they offered patients, but only 34% "frequently" or "always" take a R/S history from patients. Interestingly, 90% reported that they consider patients' R/S beliefs when discussing end-of-life issues. Responses to case scenarios largely differed by years of experience, although age and R/S beliefs also had influence.Conclusions Our results suggest that gynecologic oncologists' R/S beliefs may affect patient care but that most physicians fail to take an R/S history from their patients. More work needs to be done to evaluate possible barriers that prevent physicians from taking a spiritual history and engaging in discussions over these matters with patients.