Why might some doctors be opposed to the use of integrative medicine inside hospitals? In your
opinion, what benefits or drawbacks might there be in offering religious or spiritual healing inside
hospitals?
I believe some doctors might be opposed to the use of integrative medicine (IM) inside hospitals
because of the perception that it is not credible enough in terms of modern scientific proof. Thus, it is
reasonable to think a doctor would be wary of IM as they spend years of their lives dedicated to the
modern medicine health care system, and as a result, forms of spiritual healing would not suffice under
the definitions of medical terms. Candy Gunther Brown further proves this as he states, “secular
contingencies, including money, power, and legal rights and liabilities, often necessitate selection of
medical instead of religious vocabulary” (Brown, Candy Gunther. 2015, page 463).
I believe there are many benefits to offering religious/spiritual healing inside hospitals. However,
my bias might be showing as I grew up in a religious household, and I remember feeling so much
gratitude for the nurses during the time of my grandpa’s passing. They made sure to accommodate for
any of his religious healing moments, such as a prayer room. He passed in a comfortable state, and I
believe it was largely due to the hospital implementing religious healing opportunities for him. I believe
it is important to further offer spiritual/religious healing inside hospitals because, according to the
article,
Reintegrating Care for the Dying, Body and Soul,
“emerging data have demonstrated a largely
positive link between faith and health, as well as between faith and coping with illness” (Balboni,
Michael J., Tracy A. Balboni. 2010, page 351). Thus, if the goal of hospitals is to heal the sick, there
should be a focus on religious/spiritual healing as well to help effectively treat people from various walks
of life.
