A template for spiritual assessment: a review of the JCAHO requirements and guidelines for implementation

Soc Work. 2006 Oct;51(4):317-26. doi: 10.1093/sw/51.4.317.

Abstract

Growing consensus exists regarding the importance of spiritual assessment. For instance, the largest health care accrediting body in the United States, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), now requires the administration of a spiritual assessment. Although most practitioners endorse the concept of spiritual assessment, studies suggest that social workers have received little training in spiritual assessment. To address this gap, the current article reviews the JCAHO requirements for conducting a spiritual assessment and provides practitioners with guidelines for its proper implementation. In addition to helping equip practitioners in JCAHO-accredited settings who may be required to perform such an assessment, the spiritual assessment template profiled in this article may also be of use to practitioners in other settings.

MeSH terms

  • Accreditation / legislation & jurisprudence*
  • Cultural Diversity
  • Humans
  • Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations / legislation & jurisprudence
  • Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations / organization & administration*
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Spirituality*
  • United States