Recently Robert Klitzman M.D., a psychiatrist from Columbia University, wrote an entry in Ms. Tara Parker-Pope’s Well Blog in the NYTimes about Prayer, Faith and Doctors. While I try to read the Well column regularly, I enjoyed the surprise guest doc blogger reflecting upon how his own life experience shed light on the role of faith in his life, the lives of his patients and its relationship to human suffering. The comments afterwards revealed an array of opinions by people who did not agree with the article and dissented on the notion that a physician would address a patients faith while under his or her care.

I think the intention of the article was not to suggest that physicians act primarily as priests towards their patients, but as medical doctors who include considering a patient’s faith when they face challenging times, if its relevant and meaningful to them. My take on this subject is first ‘do no harm’, second be sincere in whatever you say or do (or don’t attempt to do it), and lastly if it helps the patient (from their perspective), why not?

What struck me about the comments after Dr. Klitzman’s article were the claims readers made on research about prayer in relation to health. So of course I thought, what is the conclusion of researchers on this topic? and headed straight to the US Government….

The NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) is one of 27 agencies that make up the NIH (National Institute of Health) composed an article about this topic titled, Prayer and Spirituality in Health: Ancient Practices, Modern Science in 2005 citing results from one of their large studies. In general they say that prayer/spirituality is used by many Americans and has been utilized for thousands of years. NCCAM confirmed some pretty high numbers pertaining to the use of prayer/spirituality amongst US citizens;

“This survey of more than 31,000 adults, released in May 2004 by the National Center for Health Statistics and NCCAM, found that 36 percent had used complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), when prayer was not included in the definition of CAM; when prayer was included in the definition of CAM, 62 percent had used CAM. (all figures refer to use in the preceding 12 months). Among the respondents:

• 45 percent had used prayer for health reasons.
• 43 percent had prayed for their own health.
• Almost 25 percent had had others pray for them.
• Almost 10 percent had participated in a prayer group for their health.”

The article goes on to clarify whether or not there are health benefits to prayer/spiritual practice by identifying “preliminary evidence for a connection between prayer and related practices and health outcomes” citing a “religious affiliation and religious practices are associated with health and mortality…. Such connections may involve immune function, cardiovascular function, and/or other physiological changes.” The article continues, and says that such nuances are difficult to isolate out, and there are problems in consistently defining spirituality/prayer and standardizing the questionnaires which investigate this topic.

While this is a large topic which NCCAM actively and currently studies, they further explain that science has identified the positive use of mind-body practices for patients with chronic/terminal illnesses (particularly heart disease and cancer) in order to achieve symptom relief, and improve their quality of life, and (in some cases) health outcome.

In summary, enough people use it to make it worthy for health care professionals to pay attention to it, and its associated with better health. Further research is being conducted on this subject.