Spiritual and Psychosocial Palliative Care in a Rural Ontario Town: An Exploratory Study of Patient Needs and Provider Experiences
Abstract
This exploratory qualitative study identified spiritual and psychosocial palliative care needs in one rural Eastern Ontario town, referred to as the pseudonym “Duffy’s Hill.” Six qualitative interviews with health care providers gathered insights, ideas, and stories related to the provision of spiritual and psychosocial palliative care in Duffy’s Hill. Participant responses were analyzed for shared values, beliefs, ideas, practices, and norms in providing this care to determine if the distinct needs observed could be attributed to cultural particularities in Duffy’s Hill. Results found that participants viewed Duffy’s Hill as distinct from urban contexts in nature of practice and challenges faced. Good spiritual and psychosocial care involved awareness of a tension associated with the terms “spiritual” and “religious,” attention to patients’ senses of place, and opportunity for patients to maintain, engage in, or heal interpersonal relationships. These results, though exploratory, suggest some level of shared culture in Duffy’s Hill.