Importância da espiritualidade e religiosidade na relação médico-familiares de pacientes na Unidade de Terapia Intensiva

Abstract

Doctors have lost the holistic view of the human being, undermining the doctor-patient relationship, which is the ethical and human foundation of the Hippocratic Medicine. The extraordinary technological advances in the field of disease diagnosis and treatment in the postmodern age have changed the healthcare industry’s work approach. These advances have transformed the empirical medicine into evidence-based scientific medicine. They also have changed medicine focus from a taking care-based model to another one based on technology, oriented towards disease cure. The objective of this study is to investigate the role of spirituality and religiosity in the relationship between doctor and family members of patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. This is a descriptive, exploratory study, with a qualitative approach. Nine doctors and ten family members of patients admitted to the adult Intensive Care Unit took part in this research, conducted in a teaching hospital located in the interior of São Paulo state. The data was collected through oral interview, recorded in audio, with the use of a semi-structured questionnaire. The interviews were analyzed with the Content Analysis method under the thematic modality. Results show that the approach of the spirituality/religiosity theme is important for the doctor-patient-family approximation. Besides, this approach comforts the family when others medicine resources deplete. Family members wish the doctor would take this approach, but only a few doctors take this kind of initiative, leaving it mostly to the family. Some family members believe that the doctor does not approach this theme because he is not spiritualized, or he is afraid of the patient or patient’s family reaction, or maybe he just does not have the time for it. But patients’ family members consider that it is essential that the doctor recognizes the importance of spiritual values, that he knows the family’s beliefs and that he has technical preparation for this approach. To the families, spirituality/religiosity helps facing the disease and prayer is a spiritual way of taking care. Even though most doctors consider the theme important, they do not feel prepared to approach it and they also highlight the necessity of receiving this kind of training during graduation