The Difference in Satisfaction of Religious and Nonreligious Hospital Patients Who Received Chaplain Interventions

The Difference in Satisfaction of Religious and Nonreligious Hospital Patients Who Received Chaplain Interventions

Chaplain interventions for nonreligious hospital patients are of interest regarding how they might impact satisfaction responses on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Though previous research indicated a relationship between chaplain visits and favorable survey responses in general, research had not yet addressed consideration for nonreligious patients specifically. The purpose of this quantitative causal-comparative study was to investigate the differences in satisfaction responses, if any, of religious and nonreligious patients in a large Midwest hospital who received chaplain interventions. Median HCAHPS responses, regarding the overall hospital rating, were not found statistically significantly different (U = 3078.500, z = -.450, p = .652). Likewise, median HCAHPS responses, regarding willingness to recommend to friends and family, were not found statistically significantly different (U = 3081.500, z = -.553, p = .580). The results of this research were consistent with an understanding that nonreligious patients benefit from chaplain interventions just as much as their religious counterparts.