Effect of Religion on End-of-Life Care Among Trauma Patients

Evidence suggests that religiousness is associated with more aggressive end-of-life (EOL) care among terminally ill patients. The effect of religion on care in more acutely life-threatening diseases is not well studied. This study examines the association of religious affiliation and request for chaplain visit with aggressive EOL care among critically injured trauma patients. We conducted a retrospective review of all trauma patients surviving at least 2 days but dying within 30 days of injury over a 3-year period at a major academic trauma center. Time until death was used as a proxy for intensity of life-prolonging therapy. Controlling for social factors, severity of injury, and medical comorbidities, religious affiliation was associated with a 43 % increase in days until death. Controlling for these same variables, chaplain request was associated with a 24 % decrease in time until death. These results suggest that religious patients receive more aggressive, and ultimately futile, EOL care and that pastoral care may reduce the amount of futile care consumed.