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Objective Instruments (SPA/SSI) and Clinical Management Reports (CMRs) were used for diagnostic and follow-up spiritual assessment in a man with acute spinal cord injury (SCI) and for diagnostic measurement in 37 other SCI patients. A set of five characteristic spiritual concerns of SCI patients was identified. Further it was shown SCI patients require about five times as much time per patient as other hospital patients for both chaplaincy and social work providers. Recommendations to Chaplain SCI programs suggest the SPA/SSI and CMRs are extremely useful in more prompt and focused response to SCI patient need and better communication and support from other health professionals. Management should be sure sufficient chaplain staff are provided to SCI patients both in time alloted and in specialized diagnostic training, so the SCI cases will be processed most expeditously.
Salisbury et al. (Thu,) studied this question.