Doctors and faith
Pastor Dale Morgan
Doctors and faith*
U. OF C. HEALTH STUDY | Physicians believe God can help patients get healthy
April 10, 2007
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter
A majority of American doctors believe God or another supernatural being
intervenes in patients' health, a study has found.
And nearly two in five doctors believe religion and spirituality can
help prevent bad outcomes such as heart attacks, infections and even
death, according to the University of Chicago nationwide survey of 2,000
physicians.
"Most physicians apply medical science while maintaining a belief that
God intervenes in patients' health," Dr. Farr Curlin and colleagues
wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Cures 'that don't make sense'
Religious doctors were more likely than nonreligious doctors to believe
this -- and to report that patients bring up religious issues.
Dr. Wayne Detmer, an internist at Lawndale Christian Health Center, said
all doctors have seen cures of patients "that don't make sense based on
our current understanding of physiology or medicine."
Detmer recalls one patient, disabled by a neurological condition, who
was able to walk again after praying. A pastor, diagnosed with terminal
lymphoma, is still alive after 13 years. And a suicidal patient has
regained the willingness to live after prayer.
Detmer said he can't prove God made these patients better. But he notes
the Bible says Jesus healed people. "It's not so much of a stretch to
believe He can still do it."
About three out of four doctors believe religion and spirituality give
patients a positive, hopeful state of mind and help them cope with
illness and suffering.
But there are possible drawbacks. About one-third of doctors believe
religion and spirituality can cause patients to refuse, delay or stop
medical therapy or avoid taking responsibility for their health, the U.
of C. study found.
And 45 percent of doctors said religion and spirituality can cause
guilt, anxiety or other negative emotions that lead to increased patient
suffering.
Nevertheless, 85 percent of doctors believe the influence of religion
and spirituality is generally positive.
Giving patients false hope?
The role of religion is one of the most contentious issues in medicine.
Many studies have found there are health benefits to prayer, church
attendance, etc., but critics say those studies are flawed. Some experts
believe religion can do more harm than good, by for example, giving
patients false hopes.
Among the most vocal critics is Richard Sloan of Columbia University
Medical Center, author of Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion
and Medicine.
Sloan is troubled by the study's finding that 54 percent of doctors
believe God intervenes in patients' health. "That's a religious
assertion, not a scientific assertion," he said.
Sloan noted the survey had a 63 percent response rate -- "acceptable,
but lower than you'd like."
Consequently, researchers should be cautious about interpreting the
results, Sloan said.
Study numbers
54%
of doctors surveyed believe God or another supernatural being intervenes
in patients' health.
76%
of doctors surveyed believe God or another supernatural being helps
patients cope with and endure illness and suffering.
74%
of doctors surveyed believe God or another supernatural being gives
patients a hopeful state of mind.