Assessing the Impact of Faith-Specific Spiritual Companionship for Muslim Patients: A Pilot Quality Improvement Study
Muzzammil Ahmadzada, Stanford University School of Medicine, Baraa Abdelghne, Stanford University, Mohamad Hamoudeh, Seton Hall University, Layth Alkhani, Yasmin Kotb, Hashem Albezreh, and Ameera Eshtewi, Stanford University, and Hosam Arammash, Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine
Introduction
Spiritual care is an essential yet inconsistently provided dimension of holistic healthcare. Evidence shows that when patients’ spiritual and religious needs are addressed, they experience better coping, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with care (Balboni et al., 2017; Ehman et al., 1999; McCord et al., 2004). However, faith-specific support for hospitalized Muslim patients in particular remains limited for a variety of reasons. A 2022 national survey of 1,329 Muslim patients found that while over 90% valued having their religious needs met, fewer than 30% reported access to consistent chaplaincy visits, prayer space, halal food, or medication free of pork or alcohol (Abdulbaseer, 2022).
To address this gap, the volunteer-run program ‘Anees’ was implemented to serve Muslim patients within the Stanford Hospital population by providing bedside spiritual companionship from trained volunteers. This study aimed to assess the impact of spiritual care visitation on patients’ emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal well-being during hospitalization.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospitalized Muslim patients who received one or more spiritual care visits during the study period at Stanford Hospital from trained Anees volunteers. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and limited to adult inpatients nearing discharge. Ethical approval was obtained through Stanford Medicine’s institutional quality improvement review process.
A 33-item questionnaire evaluated the impact of spiritual care visitation on emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal domains. Items used 10-point Likert scales assessing: (1) emotional support, (2) fulfillment of spiritual needs before and after visits, (3) improvement in hope, meaning, and faith connection, (4) coping with medical procedures, and (5) sense of being cared for as a whole person. Binary questions captured perceived improvements in judgment, communication, and decision-making. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, reporting means ± standard deviations (SD) for continuous variables and proportions for categorical responses.
Results
34 Muslim inpatients completed the survey. Participants ranged in age from 28 to 64 years (mean = 47.4 ± 15.2); 60% were female, and all identified as non-Hispanic. Reported racial backgrounds included Middle Eastern (40%), Central Asian (40%), South Asian (20%), and North African (20%). The number of visits per patient ranged from one to four or more.
Before receiving said spiritual care visits from volunteers, participants rated the degree to which their spiritual needs were addressed at a mean of 4.0 ± 3.7 (out of 10). After receiving visits, this rating increased to 10.0 ± 0.0, indicating a marked perceived improvement in faith-specific support. Patients rated the volunteer’s ability to address emotional needs at 8.4 ± 2.3, and their feelings of hope improved to 9.8 ± 0.4. The visits also helped patients find meaning or purpose in their illness (7.6 ± 2.3), strengthened their connection to faith or spirituality (8.2 ± 3.9), and improved their ability to cope with medical procedures (7.0 ± 3.8). Participants also felt more cared for as whole persons (8.0 ± 2.7).
All respondents (100%) reported that the volunteer made them feel less judged and more understood as Muslim patients. 60% of respondents reported improved communication with healthcare providers, and 40% indicated that the visits enhanced their decision-making regarding treatment. All participants rated spirituality or religion as extremely important in their lives (mean = 10.0 ± 0.0).
Discussion
This pilot study demonstrates that faith-specific spiritual companionship has the potential to meaningfully enhance the inpatient experience for Muslim patients—a conclusion that can perhaps hold true for other religious and spiritual minority groups. Even within a small cohort, patients reported profound improvements across emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal domains after volunteer visits. The observed rise in perceived fulfillment of spiritual needs—from 4.0 to 10.0—underscores the gap in standard hospital care and the potential of structured spiritual visitation programs to assist existing chaplaincy departments in closing it.
These findings align with prior literature indicating that spiritually tailored care supports coping, fosters meaning, and promotes holistic well-being (Balboni et al., 2017; Puchalski et al., 2014). Anees appears to extend this evidence to a faith-specific context, highlighting the importance of culturally congruent care models in a diverse patient population. The 100% endorsement of “feeling less judged” further suggests that culturally matched companionship may mitigate experiences of marginalization often reported by Muslim patients.
In summary, the Anees program represents a promising model for integrating faith-sensitive spiritual care into hospital practice. Faith-specific, volunteer-led programs like Anees should be implemented alongside existing chaplaincy services to ensure that minority faith groups receive equitable, culturally attuned spiritual care within hospital systems. By centering the voices and experiences of Muslim patients, it advances the pursuit of equity, compassion, and whole person healing in modern medicine.
Spiritual care is an essential yet inconsistently provided dimension of holistic healthcare. Evidence shows that when patients’ spiritual and religious needs are addressed, they experience better coping, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with care (Balboni et al., 2017; Ehman et al., 1999; McCord et al., 2004). However, faith-specific support for hospitalized Muslim patients in particular remains limited for a variety of reasons. A 2022 national survey of 1,329 Muslim patients found that while over 90% valued having their religious needs met, fewer than 30% reported access to consistent chaplaincy visits, prayer space, halal food, or medication free of pork or alcohol (Abdulbaseer, 2022).
To address this gap, the volunteer-run program ‘Anees’ was implemented to serve Muslim patients within the Stanford Hospital population by providing bedside spiritual companionship from trained volunteers. This study aimed to assess the impact of spiritual care visitation on patients’ emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal well-being during hospitalization.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among hospitalized Muslim patients who received one or more spiritual care visits during the study period at Stanford Hospital from trained Anees volunteers. Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and limited to adult inpatients nearing discharge. Ethical approval was obtained through Stanford Medicine’s institutional quality improvement review process.
A 33-item questionnaire evaluated the impact of spiritual care visitation on emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal domains. Items used 10-point Likert scales assessing: (1) emotional support, (2) fulfillment of spiritual needs before and after visits, (3) improvement in hope, meaning, and faith connection, (4) coping with medical procedures, and (5) sense of being cared for as a whole person. Binary questions captured perceived improvements in judgment, communication, and decision-making. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, reporting means ± standard deviations (SD) for continuous variables and proportions for categorical responses.
Results
34 Muslim inpatients completed the survey. Participants ranged in age from 28 to 64 years (mean = 47.4 ± 15.2); 60% were female, and all identified as non-Hispanic. Reported racial backgrounds included Middle Eastern (40%), Central Asian (40%), South Asian (20%), and North African (20%). The number of visits per patient ranged from one to four or more.
Before receiving said spiritual care visits from volunteers, participants rated the degree to which their spiritual needs were addressed at a mean of 4.0 ± 3.7 (out of 10). After receiving visits, this rating increased to 10.0 ± 0.0, indicating a marked perceived improvement in faith-specific support. Patients rated the volunteer’s ability to address emotional needs at 8.4 ± 2.3, and their feelings of hope improved to 9.8 ± 0.4. The visits also helped patients find meaning or purpose in their illness (7.6 ± 2.3), strengthened their connection to faith or spirituality (8.2 ± 3.9), and improved their ability to cope with medical procedures (7.0 ± 3.8). Participants also felt more cared for as whole persons (8.0 ± 2.7).
All respondents (100%) reported that the volunteer made them feel less judged and more understood as Muslim patients. 60% of respondents reported improved communication with healthcare providers, and 40% indicated that the visits enhanced their decision-making regarding treatment. All participants rated spirituality or religion as extremely important in their lives (mean = 10.0 ± 0.0).
Discussion
This pilot study demonstrates that faith-specific spiritual companionship has the potential to meaningfully enhance the inpatient experience for Muslim patients—a conclusion that can perhaps hold true for other religious and spiritual minority groups. Even within a small cohort, patients reported profound improvements across emotional, spiritual, and interpersonal domains after volunteer visits. The observed rise in perceived fulfillment of spiritual needs—from 4.0 to 10.0—underscores the gap in standard hospital care and the potential of structured spiritual visitation programs to assist existing chaplaincy departments in closing it.
These findings align with prior literature indicating that spiritually tailored care supports coping, fosters meaning, and promotes holistic well-being (Balboni et al., 2017; Puchalski et al., 2014). Anees appears to extend this evidence to a faith-specific context, highlighting the importance of culturally congruent care models in a diverse patient population. The 100% endorsement of “feeling less judged” further suggests that culturally matched companionship may mitigate experiences of marginalization often reported by Muslim patients.
In summary, the Anees program represents a promising model for integrating faith-sensitive spiritual care into hospital practice. Faith-specific, volunteer-led programs like Anees should be implemented alongside existing chaplaincy services to ensure that minority faith groups receive equitable, culturally attuned spiritual care within hospital systems. By centering the voices and experiences of Muslim patients, it advances the pursuit of equity, compassion, and whole person healing in modern medicine.