Doctors' Beliefs and Practices: Transatlantic Comparisons
Panelists -
Rene Hefti, M.D., Director, Research Institute for Spirituality and Health, University of Bern
Farr Curlin, M.D., Duke University
Oliver Merz, Research Institute
Mary Esperandio, Pontefical Catholic University of Parana
It seems clear from both philosophical reflections and empirical studies that basic values and attitudes, both religious and secular, influence medical practice and decision-making. Yet the shape of the relationship is different in different cultural and religious settings. Panel members have investigated this relationship among physicians in the United States, Brazil, and Switzerland. In this panel, they will compare the results of these "transatlantic cohorts" to discuss the interaction between secular and religious attitudes and medical practice in these different contexts.
Findings among US physicians
In 2003 Curlin and colleagues studied the religious characteristics of US physicians, and found that nine of ten physicians endorsed a religious affiliation and 55% indicated their religious beliefs influence their practices of medicine. Over the subsequent decade, the same researchers have surveyed more than 6,000 physicians to examine religion-associated differences across an array of clinical domains.
Findings among Swiss physicians and medical students
Hefti et al adapted the Curlin questionnaire for studies of two physicians and one medical student cohort in Switzerland. They adjusted the religiosity items to those of the Religionsmonitor 2007 in order to be able to compare religious profiles of Swiss physicians with those of the general Swiss population.
The researchers studied 137 physicians of two religious organisations, the Swiss Association of Protestant Doctors and the Swiss Association of Catholic Physicians; 26.0% of the physicians identified themselves as Protestant, 55.7% as Evangelical, and 18.3% as Catholic. The study found that the three denominational groups differed in their understanding of how religion interacts with medicine and how religion should be implemented into medical practice.
The same questionnaire was administered to a cohort of medical students at the University of Bern, and to a cohort of general practitioners in two different regions of Switzerland. Results from all three studies will be presented.
Findings among Brazilian physicians and medical students
Esperandio et al investigated two samples of physicians in Brazil. In 2014 a study among 105 health care professionals (including physicians) was carried out. In 2015 data were collected among physicians only. In addition, this panel will consider results of a large study of Brazilian medical students performed by Lucchetti et al (2014).
Rene Hefti, M.D., Director, Research Institute for Spirituality and Health, University of Bern
Farr Curlin, M.D., Duke University
Oliver Merz, Research Institute
Mary Esperandio, Pontefical Catholic University of Parana
It seems clear from both philosophical reflections and empirical studies that basic values and attitudes, both religious and secular, influence medical practice and decision-making. Yet the shape of the relationship is different in different cultural and religious settings. Panel members have investigated this relationship among physicians in the United States, Brazil, and Switzerland. In this panel, they will compare the results of these "transatlantic cohorts" to discuss the interaction between secular and religious attitudes and medical practice in these different contexts.
Findings among US physicians
In 2003 Curlin and colleagues studied the religious characteristics of US physicians, and found that nine of ten physicians endorsed a religious affiliation and 55% indicated their religious beliefs influence their practices of medicine. Over the subsequent decade, the same researchers have surveyed more than 6,000 physicians to examine religion-associated differences across an array of clinical domains.
Findings among Swiss physicians and medical students
Hefti et al adapted the Curlin questionnaire for studies of two physicians and one medical student cohort in Switzerland. They adjusted the religiosity items to those of the Religionsmonitor 2007 in order to be able to compare religious profiles of Swiss physicians with those of the general Swiss population.
The researchers studied 137 physicians of two religious organisations, the Swiss Association of Protestant Doctors and the Swiss Association of Catholic Physicians; 26.0% of the physicians identified themselves as Protestant, 55.7% as Evangelical, and 18.3% as Catholic. The study found that the three denominational groups differed in their understanding of how religion interacts with medicine and how religion should be implemented into medical practice.
The same questionnaire was administered to a cohort of medical students at the University of Bern, and to a cohort of general practitioners in two different regions of Switzerland. Results from all three studies will be presented.
Findings among Brazilian physicians and medical students
Esperandio et al investigated two samples of physicians in Brazil. In 2014 a study among 105 health care professionals (including physicians) was carried out. In 2015 data were collected among physicians only. In addition, this panel will consider results of a large study of Brazilian medical students performed by Lucchetti et al (2014).