Relationships Between the Number of Chaplain Visits and Patient Characteristics: A Retrospective Review of a Large Suburban Midwest Hospital, USA

It is critical to understand the characteristics of patients who receive spiritual care through chaplain visits. This study evaluated 2373 records from chaplain visits provided to 1315 patients over a three-month period (March–May 2021) at a large suburban teaching hospital, Midwest, USA. Approximately 70% of patients received one chaplain visit. However, data revealed that when patients were admitted emergently, or received visits for reasons related to self-harm or suicidality, the frequency of chaplain visits significantly increased. This study suggests a need for spiritual care services for patients with emergency or mental health conditions. Furthermore, it highlights the need for further training and resources for chaplains to increase clinical competencies in providing specialized spiritual care support to specific patient populations.