Heal Her, I Beseech You: Modern Epidemiology and Prayer for Recovery

Evidence accumulates in the medical literature that studies conducted in accordance with current clinical epidemiologic research standards support the hypothesis that religious factors can improve health and accelerate the recovery from disease. The most recently published results from randomized trials on the therapeutic efficacy of intercessoiy prayer are reviewed and discussed in this essay. The author concludes that research ethics can and should include the study of the therapeutic efficacy of prayer to gather the best possible evidence for further research and, most importantly, for the patients\' benefit