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Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved?

Publication ,  Journal Article
Curlin, FA; Dugdale, LS; Lantos, JD; Chin, MH
Published in: Ann Fam Med
2007

PURPOSE: Religious traditions call their members to care for the poor and marginalized, yet no study has examined whether physicians' religious characteristics are associated with practice among the underserved. This study examines whether physicians' self-reported religious characteristics and sense of calling in their work are associated with practice among the underserved. METHODS: This study entailed a cross-sectional survey by mail of a stratified random sample of 2,000 practicing US physicians from all specialties. RESULTS: The response rate was 63%. Twenty-six percent of US physicians reported that their patient populations are considered underserved. Physicians who were more likely to report practice among the underserved included those who were highly spiritual (multivariate odds ratio [OR] = 1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.7], those who strongly agreed that their religious beliefs influenced their practice of medicine (OR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5), and those who strongly agreed that the family in which they were raised emphasized service to the poor (OR = 1.7; 95% CI, 1.0-2.7). Physicians who were more religious in general, as measured by intrinsic religiosity or frequency of attendance at religious services, were much more likely to conceive of the practice of medicine as a calling but not more likely to report practice among the underserved. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians who are more religious do not appear to disproportionately care for the underserved.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Ann Fam Med

DOI

EISSN

1544-1717

Publication Date

2007

Volume

5

Issue

4

Start / End Page

353 / 360

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Vulnerable Populations
  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Spirituality
  • Specialization
  • Religion and Medicine
  • Professional Practice Location
  • Poverty Areas
  • Physicians
  • Motivation
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Curlin, F. A., Dugdale, L. S., Lantos, J. D., & Chin, M. H. (2007). Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved? Ann Fam Med, 5(4), 353–360. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.677
Curlin, Farr A., Lydia S. Dugdale, John D. Lantos, and Marshall H. Chin. “Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved?Ann Fam Med 5, no. 4 (2007): 353–60. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.677.
Curlin FA, Dugdale LS, Lantos JD, Chin MH. Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved? Ann Fam Med. 2007;5(4):353–60.
Curlin, Farr A., et al. “Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved?Ann Fam Med, vol. 5, no. 4, 2007, pp. 353–60. Pubmed, doi:10.1370/afm.677.
Curlin FA, Dugdale LS, Lantos JD, Chin MH. Do religious physicians disproportionately care for the underserved? Ann Fam Med. 2007;5(4):353–360.

Published In

Ann Fam Med

DOI

EISSN

1544-1717

Publication Date

2007

Volume

5

Issue

4

Start / End Page

353 / 360

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Vulnerable Populations
  • United States
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Spirituality
  • Specialization
  • Religion and Medicine
  • Professional Practice Location
  • Poverty Areas
  • Physicians
  • Motivation