Data Sheet 6_Developing a best practice guide for integrating spiritual care interventions in chronic pain therapy: a qualitative Delphi study.pdf

Chronic pain patients (CPPs) often face complex, multifactorial challenges, with many reporting that their pain management lacks comprehensiveness. Spiritual care has emerged as a potential resource in addressing the diverse needs of CPPs, but remains underutilized due to healthcare professionals' (HCPs) uncertainty about how to integrate it into clinical practice. This study aimed to develop a best practice guide for integrating spiritual care into chronic pain therapy using a qualitative Delphi study. Three rounds of data collection, involving a panel of CPPs and HCPs with expertise in chronic pain from various disciplines, were conducted. Participants shared their experiences and suggestions for addressing spiritual aspects in pain therapy. The process led to the formulation of a consensus-based best practice guide, outlining practical strategies for HCPs to engage with spiritual care in a way that is respectful and sensitive to individual patient needs. Results indicated that incorporating spiritual care in chronic pain therapy can enhance therapeutic relationships, foster more meaningful patient interactions, and provide additional coping mechanisms. The guide was rated as clinically applicable, and offers a structured yet flexible framework for integrating spiritual care into multimodal pain treatment and is expected to improve patient outcomes by addressing existential aspects of chronic pain.

慢性疼痛患者（Chronic Pain Patients, CPPs）常面临复杂且多因素交织的困境，诸多患者反馈其疼痛管理缺乏全面性。灵性照护（Spiritual Care）已成为满足慢性疼痛患者多元需求的潜在资源，但由于医护人员（Healthcare Professionals, HCPs）对如何将其融入临床实践存在认知困惑，该照护方式至今仍未得到充分利用。本研究旨在通过质性德尔菲研究（Qualitative Delphi Study）构建一套将灵性照护融入慢性疼痛治疗的最佳实践指南。研究共开展三轮数据采集，邀请了来自多学科、具备慢性疼痛诊疗专业背景的慢性疼痛患者与医护人员组成专家小组参与。参与人员分享了自身实践经验与关于在疼痛治疗中融入灵性照护相关维度的建议。该流程最终形成了基于共识的最佳实践指南，其中列明了可供医护人员采用的实操策略，帮助其以尊重且贴合患者个体需求的方式开展灵性照护工作。研究结果显示，在慢性疼痛治疗中融入灵性照护，能够强化医患治疗关系、促进更具深度的医患互动，并为患者提供额外的应对机制。该指南被评定为具备临床适用性，其提供了一套结构化且兼具灵活性的框架，可用于将灵性照护融入多模式疼痛治疗方案，且有望通过缓解慢性疼痛患者的存在性层面困扰，改善患者预后结局。