What do we know about the teaching of religiosity/spirituality in medical undergraduate curricula? An integrative review

Background: There is general agreement between physicians and medical school faculty that health professionals should be aware and know how to deal with patient’s spirituality. The spiritual dimension is being included in some University curricula, and a more humanistic health care approach is being advocated. Methods: An integrative review was conducted to gather information about spirituality research in medical undergraduate curricula. The major question to be answered is what we already know about the teaching of religiosity/spirituality (R/S) in medical curricula. Results: The final sample was composed of 21 articles, among which 16 were empirical studies and five were theoretical essays. Most of the publications were from the United States, followed by Brazil, United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia. Most of the students and teachers believe they must be prepared to address the issue spirituality with patients, despite a lack of consensus about contents, teaching methods and the best moment of teaching during the medical course. Conclusions: Teaching R/S is a developing process which is not yet a global phenomenon, as shown by the fact that publications of only a few countries are available. The subject is relevant and important as a curricular element in medical education, but needs further developments.