Does a Doctor’s Religious Beliefs Impact Patient Care?

According to the doctors themselves, the answer is, “more likely than not.”

(please share this with anyone of faith)

• 55 percent believe that their religious beliefs influence their practice of medicine.

• 76 percent believe in God as opposed to 83 percent of the general population (not a significant difference)

• 59 percent believe in life after death

• 58 percent state they carry their religious beliefs in all dealings of their life

• They attend religious services as frequently as non-physicians

We are taught that doctors are empirical, making decisions about our health based on “nothing but the facts, ma’am.” We think about them as if they were mechanics, just for our bodies. 


But doctors are people and their biases can show through. This article (link below) is, admittedly, a bit inane in that it really doesn’t answer the question it raises — other than to show the interesting statistics above.  


So, here’s my take. Of course doctors have as many biases as everyone else. That said, the chances that it impacts the care they provide is probably small. That’s not to say that it doesn’t happen — of course it does. So for me and you and my mom, we need to know that if we’re going to a doc that COULD have a sensitivity around gender, race, or religion, then we need to get a second opinion. 

Richard C. Senelick, M.D.: Does a Physician’s Religious Beliefs Impact Patient Care?

For more information: Click here to visit Will Clower’s website.