Doctors gauge patients' religious views

HOUSTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. sociologists find religion plays a greater role in medical decisions involving seriously ill children, especially when difficult decisions must be made.

Researchers Elaine Howard Ecklund of Rice University in Houston, Wendy Cadge of Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., and Nicholas Short of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston interviewed 30 doctors at top-tier U.S. medical centers and found pediatricians and pediatric oncologists had differing views on religion and spirituality.

"Pediatric oncologists are more likely than the pediatricians interviewed to see the religion or spirituality of patients as relevant to their professional jurisdictions," the authors said in a statement. However, "the majority of the physicians interviewed see religion and spirituality as most relevant in difficult medical decision-making situations, in particular those made about end-of-life care."

The researchers concluded the physicians surveyed saw religion and spirituality as both a barrier and a bridge to medical care. It was a barrier when it impeded their work or care of children -- especially care of children who are Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox Jews or members of religious traditions that have existed in some tension with biomedicine, the researchers said.

The study is published in Social Problems.