Quality Improvement and Measurement for Healthcare Chaplaincy: What Do Chaplains Think?

Evidence-based medicine (EBM), severe financial cutbacks, and government mandated reform drive the work environments where healthcare chaplains minister today. Consequently, Quality Improvement and Measurement (QIM) in healthcare chaplaincy is gaining increasing attention from chaplains, researchers, administrators, and other healthcare professionals across the industry. The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the chaplain\u27s perception and need for conducting research for QIM in healthcare chaplaincy. The respondents to this exploratory study perceive QIM as necessary, and that it will have positive effects on their chaplaincy. However, to fully integrate QIM into their professional roles, chaplains need more resources, such as training, additional staffing, and funding