When I was in medical school, there was a very popular book called "The House of God." It dealt with the way doctors can sometimes elevate themselves to the level of a deity in their minds. But although physicians are highly trained professionals, we do not really have the final say in life. We have all pronounced dead rich patients, poor patients, happy patients, and sad patients. And one thing is for sure: No matter who we are, we all will meet the same fate one day. Frequently, patients are far more in tune to this reality than we are.

A Gallup poll, conducted in June of 2011, found that 92% of Americans believe in God. Among those with at least some college education, 93% believe in God; 94% of those who graduated college believe, and 87% of those with postgraduate training were found to believe in a deity.

©Amanda Rohde/iStockphoto.com

One thing that makes America great is that we each have the freedom to worship – or not worship – as we choose, and even among the majority of us who believe in God, there is a wide range of beliefs. Although many physicians may feel uncomfortable "mixing science and religion," I believe we do our patients a disservice when we refuse to acknowledge their feelings or pooh-pooh their beliefs.

We have all had patients whose prior doctors gave them 3-6 months to live – about 20-30 years ago, that is. And then there were those patients who had unwavering faith despite all odds, and even had family members and clergy come to pray with them, and did exceptionally well, despite our grim prognoses.

I suspect that there are several reasons physicians shy away from spirituality. One reason is that we are afraid that our words could be misconstrued as somehow unethical, and in certain situations, they may be. As in most things, prudence is in order. However, only the rare physician would use the vulnerability of sick patients to try to convert them to religion.

At the other end of the spectrum, we find many physicians who, when faced with a patient who obviously shares the same religious beliefs, nevertheless steer clear of conversations that have any semblance of spiritual undertones, even though the physicians may actually pray for them privately at a later time. Through the years, I have found that most patients appreciate knowing when their physician shares their belief system; frequently, patients even seek out physicians they know believe what they believe.

In addition, sometimes physicians feel uncomfortable discussing beliefs with colleagues, fearing we may be perceived as religious fanatics. When I Iived in Memphis and desperately wanted to move to the East Coast to start a family, I had a phone interview with a physician for a job I really wanted. All was going well until he asked a question I will never forget: What I would miss most about going from a private practice to an HMO (if he chose to hire me)? I immediately knew the answer: the freedom to pray with my patients. I felt compelled to answer the question, all the while fearing I may miss out on that job that I wanted so desperately.

To my surprise, my answer was not a turnoff to him at all. As a matter of fact, he told me I was free to pray with my HMO patients if they asked me to, although, again, prudence was warranted. Years ago, he thanked me for being so open with him because it helped him come out of his shell, and he started praying more openly with his patients.

I have even had a close family member request that his surgeon pray with him before spine surgery; the surgeon did pray with him in the OR prior to his being given anesthesia.

Most studies on spirituality and medicines show that patients welcome their health care professionals’ inquiries about their spiritual concerns, and they benefit from such discussions with their physicians. Up-To-Date has an article entitled "Religion, Spirituality, and End-of-Life Care." In it, the authors delve into a variety of aspects of the patient-physician spiritual connection, and provide numerous resources for further reading.

A physician should not violate the trust and ethics of the physician-patient relationship by coercing patients to pray with them against their will. But the authors do acknowledge the appropriateness of physicians’ praying with their patients when they are asked to do so, and when physicians do not feel coerced themselves.

The power of spirituality in patient-physician relationships is gaining more and more acceptance over time. Duke University, the University of California, San Francisco, and other major institutions have even posted videos on YouTube regarding health care professionals and their patients’ spirituality. If you thought that embracing your patients on a higher level is radical, it may be time to rethink things.

Dr. Hester is a hospitalist at Baltimore Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, Md., who has a passion for empowering patients to partner in their health care.