Integrating spirituality into undergraduate medical education: Developing a Special Interest Network

N.B. The information below is authored by the mini-project applicants, not by staff of the subject centre. This text represents the views and opinions of the mini-project team only, not those of the subject centre or its affiliates.

Full list of project partners

Dr Gill Grimshaw BSC MSc PhD CPhys CSci
Dr Sarah Eagger MBBS, FRCPsych
Dr Craig Brown MBChB MRCGP
Rev. Rob Merchant BA MA
Dr Astrid Bendomir MD, MRCOG, CCST
Nirmala Ragbir-Day
Rev. Mark Bratton

Background

Why suggest this activity?
Following a successful workshop in April 2007, funded by MEDEV, feedback from participants was that they would value a network facilitated by a Special Interest Group (SIG) around the developing topic of spirituality within undergraduate medical curriculum(feedback available via MedEv) The level of response to the workshop and anecdotal evidence during the workshop suggests there are many individuals working on this topic in isolation. This topic is gaining momentum as evidenced by the Chief Nursing Officer’s report (see 5.4.7 recommendation 10 http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/38/40/04133840.pdf), current policy development in NHS regions(http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/csa/diversity/spiritual%20care.pdf and www.show.scot.nhs.uk/nss/publications/ Spiritual%20Care%20Policy%20%20(30%20July%202004).pdf) work done by various Royal colleges e.g RCPsych (http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/college/specialinterestgroups/spirituality.aspx) and developing models of patient-centred and relationship-centred care. We would like to form a network to support development of this subject and recognise that this application is of interest to both MedEv and the Philosophical and Religious Studies Subject Centre. This is discussed further in the last section of this part of the application form (Application for funding).

What is the purpose of the proposed Special Interest Group?
The purpose of the SIG would be to act as a hub for activity in this area. A SIG would enable several parallel strands to be developed over the duration of the grant, including: holding workshops and meetings defining generic skills and competencies related to spirituality for medical students and hence post graduate doctors; developing and disseminating knowledge and training methods in taking a spiritual history and responding to expressed needs; collecting and disseminating tools and techniques for engaging staff and students in the topic of “the human spirit” and facilitating development of a supportive network for those teaching this subject using email, web forum, video conferencing and workshops.

Why is this Special Interest Group worth funding?
The overarching aim of the SIG would be to share ideas and practice but, crucially, to maintain the detachment of this development work from religious frameworks and practice. With a team of core individuals and a wider network of associated teachers a SIG can cost-effectively develop workshops that meet the exact needs of the community while progressing other work in the same area. The list of proposed outcomes demonstrates the added value of funding extended over a few years. In addition, the potential members of this network tend to be individuals who work in isolation, for example Chaplains, teachers working on curriculum development in values in medicine, part-time tutors with a special interest in this subject. The value of establishing communication networks between individuals doing the same work in different institutions may provide a critical mass that can engage with developing a professional learning and research agenda for the UK.

Who is the target audience?
• Academics in Medical Education
• Doctors in Medical Education
• Chaplains and chaplain trainers,
• Mental health professionals and teachers
• Academic nurses and allied healthcare professionals
• Healthcare teachers working on curriculum development in values in medicine,
• Part-time clinical tutors with a special interest in spirituality
• Healthcare professionals and teachers relating to the Philosophical and Religious Studies Subject Centre

Application for funding:-
The topic of spirituality in Medical education has synergy with the topics of medical ethics, philosophy, values-based medicine and religion. Many of the target audience would not naturally gravitate to MedEv and will find most of the resources they need within the Philosophical and Religious Studies Subject Centre. This application has been made simultaneously to the Philosophical and Religious Studies Subject Centre(PRS). We are applying for funding over three years and it may be appropriate to consider how arrangements could be made with PRS as this topic area is inter-disciplinary.

Proposed activities

It is proposed that the activities would take place over three years. The basics of the network can be established within the first three months of receiving funding and it is anticipated that the first meeting would be immediate and focussed on setting up a detailed project Gant Chart developing detailed outcomes based on those listed below. In terms of project management it is proposed that the core group would set up interim outcomes to enable monitoring of achievement of objectives. Full transparency would include publication of this material on the web site.
• Facilitated discussion (core group acting as moderators) eforum,/discussion boards and email networks. Set up within six months of funding depending on discussion about hosting. MEDEV have reported that they would support this activity and access could be through the MEDEV website.
• SIG website providing core information on SIG activity, shared material and links (Set up within three months and potentially supported as above)
• Develop search algorithm for literature databases and subsequently literature searches and networking to identify current activity in UK and overseas (initiated within first 4 months)
• SIG activity to:
o Derive of common definitions and language related to “the human spirit”; (Year 1 outcome)
o Express key generic skills and competencies related to spirituality and linked to current training frameworks for medical students and hence post graduate doctors;(Year 1 outcome)
o Summarise current knowledge and on-going research (On going)
o Disseminate methods of taking a spiritual history and responding to patients expressed needs; (Year 2 outcome)
o collect and disseminate tools and techniques for engaging staff and students in the topic of “the human spirit” )(Year 2 outcome)
• Development of international links since this topic is further developed in the US than in Europe.(On-going)
• Seek opportunities for funding to continue SIG including exploring the possibility of subscription funding. (Year 2 onwards)

Proposed outcomes

• Continued mapping of current activity in medical schools and schools of nursing and healthcare training (including dissemination of finding of pre-workshop survey)
• 3 workshops over three years, one on spiritual history taking and other topics decided by feedback from SIG members;
• Organisation of additional synchronous web-based conferences (technology permitting)
• At least 2 face-to-face meetings per year for core group
• Database of interested individuals forming an interdisciplinary network;
• Facilitated development of a supportive network for those teaching this subject using email, web forum, video conferencing and workshops.
• Establishment of web forum
• Establishment of shared bibliography,

The above outcomes have been identified by the applicants and endorsed by those attending a MEDEV workshop in April entitled “Integrating spirituality into the undergraduate medical curriculum”. Many teachers who are already committed were attracted to the workshop or apologised because of previous commitments. Crucially the proposed activities will attract into the area others not yet reached, especially those who have an interest in values-based medicine who may not have yet included the concepts of “the human spirit” in their thinking and teaching. In addition, within the NHS community, especially within the Mental Health community and Chaplaincies in healthcare organisations, some work is already evident but little networking is reported. There is currently little consensus on the skills and competencies needed to relate to patients in this domain and to relate to training staff who have skills in this domain. Thus, this proposal has the potential to influence curriculum development throughout healthcare education and within NHS teams supported by Chaplains and other NHS staff with an interest in this topic.

Proposed expertise

This team has formed from interested parties who wish to develop the topic of integrated teaching of spirituality.
Dr Gill Grimshaw BSC PhD (is an experienced teacher in health policy and practice who has an interest in holistic assessment of health technologies and is currently responsible for development student support systems within Warwick Medical School She is a trained eFacilitator).
Dr Sarah Eagger MBBS, FRCPsych (works as a consultant psychiatrist for the elderly in North London and is an honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College. Dr Eagger is particularly interested in the spiritual aspect of the holistic model and has practised and taught meditation in various NHS settings for many years. She is currently chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s SIG for Spirituality and Psychiatry)
Dr Craig Brown MBChB MRCGP (is a GP and teacher at Brighton & Sussex Medical School concerned with values-based medicine and communications. He is a Trustee of the British Holistic Medical Association)
Rev. Rob Merchant (Principal Lecturer in Spirituality and Health in Centre for Aging and Mental Health at Staffordshire University. He is currently developing an MSc in this topic)
Dr Astrid Bendomir MD, MRCOG, CCST (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, currently Breast Surgery Fellow, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary)
Nirmala Ragbir-Day, (is a health economist and Public Health Manager with N. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority who has a special interest in inter-professional development of values-based healthcare)
Rev. Mark Bratton (is an ex-barrister and currently Anglican Chaplain at Warwick University and pursues teaching and research in spirituality in medicine from a philosophical and legal perspective)

Expertise of grant holder and project team

This team has formed from interested parties who wish to develop the topic of integrated teaching of spirituality.
Dr Gill Grimshaw BSC PhD (is an experienced teacher in health policy and practice who has an interest in holistic assessment of health technologies and is currently responsible for development student support systems within Warwick Medical School She is a trained eFacilitator).
Dr Sarah Eagger MBBS, FRCPsych (works as a consultant psychiatrist for the elderly in North London and is an honorary senior lecturer at Imperial College. Dr Eagger is particularly interested in the spiritual aspect of the holistic model and has practised and taught meditation in various NHS settings for many years. She is currently chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrist’s SIG for Spirituality and Psychiatry)
Dr Craig Brown MBChB MRCGP (is a GP and teacher at Brighton & Sussex Medical School concerned with values-based medicine and communications. He is a Trustee of the British Holistic Medical Association)
Rev. Rob Merchant (Principal Lecturer in Spirituality and Health in Centre for Aging and Mental Health at Staffordshire University. He is currently developing an MSc in this topic)
Dr Astrid Bendomir MD, MRCOG, CCST (Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, currently Breast Surgery Fellow, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary)
Nirmala Ragbir-Day, (is a health economist and Public Health Manager with N. Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority who has a special interest in inter-professional development of values-based healthcare)
Rev. Mark Bratton (is an ex-barrister and currently Anglican Chaplain at Warwick University and pursues teaching and research in spirituality in medicine from a philosophical and legal perspective)

Similar work

Although there are several departments within UK universities who are teaching and developing courses in this topic we know of no inter-disciplinary networks within the UK. The Royal College of Psychiatry has a SIG but this is accessible only to doctors specialising in mental health. Many curriculum refer to “holistic” but few detail how “the human spirit” is related to this in terms of skills and competencies. There is much to be learnt from the US where networks already exist. This activity, if funded, would formalise and give some authority to our personal links with individuals and organisations doing similar work in North America. However our culture has very significant differences from North American and translation of concepts and ideas will be necessary. This SIG has the potential to be a quality assured link with the North American activity.

Contact details

Amount awarded: 5,000 over 3 years

Subject centre project contact: Suzanne Hardy

Reports and resources

Reports and articles will appear here once avaliable