Answer for HCA 545 Do you think that a person who needs medical care would consider the religious type of hospital before being admitted and why? Re: Module 8 DQ 1 Influence of Religious Beliefs on Healthcare Practice

Religious beliefs have a primary influence on the healthcare beliefs of people since several people perceive religion as important. Often, religious beliefs, culture, and customs will influence patients’ understanding of health concepts and thus affect their choice of health care facility (Isaac, Hay, & Lubetkin, 2016). Religion, therefore, becomes pervasive and affects patient encounters. Consequently, a person who needs medical care will consider a hospital whose care is founded on religion. A person’s religious belief can influence them on their healthcare arrangement, which will include what kind of physician they seek out, what kind of treatment to accept, and the mode of the treatment. Faith-based worries are also a common reason a person will consider when seeking treatment (“Consider Culture, Customs, and Beliefs”, n.d). For instance, the decision to accept to receive treatment from a medical physician of the opposite sex largely depends on a person’s religious orientation. Other reasons that influence whether a religious person will accept care or not include diet and time schedule for prayers, among others.

Health care facilities can also affect how patients perceive their services. This may occur through how they address religious matters, lack of understanding of spiritual concerns of their patients as well as lack of time. Most physicians also believe that it is not the role of the physician to discuss spirituality with their patients and therefore are unable to accommodate a patient’s religious and spiritual beliefs (Isaac, Hay, & Lubetkin, 2016). Further, physicians operating in a particular healthcare facility are bound by the facility’s doctrines that prevent them from attending to their patient’s needs. This will affect a patient’s choice of the healthcare facility and their outcomes for they feel their spiritual needs are not addressed. For instance, most physicians in Catholic healthcare institutions will not prescribe contraceptives to their patients, and this will directly impact the outcome of care). Therefore, religion plays an important role in determining the outcome of care.

References

Consider Culture, Customs, and Beliefs: Tool #10. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ahrq.gov/health-literacy/quality-resources/tools/literacy-toolkit/healthlittoolkit2-tool10.html

Isaac, K. S., Hay, J. L., & Lubetkin, E. I. (2016). Incorporating spirituality in primary care. Journal of religion and health, 55(3), 1065-1077.