Medicine
April 17th,
2022 Words:
1,510
Liberty University
Master of Medical Sciences
MSCI 640
Should we use prayer, prescriptions, or pastoral care, or should we use all three?
In all honesty, this is a topic I have never really thought about until this week.
Once I began reading others’ posts on this topic, I realized how important to discuss these
things as many of us currently work or will work in the healthcare field. To start, the majority of
my classmates discussed that prescription and prayer should be used together, as they believe
that not only will God heal the body but also that God has entrusted doctors with the necessary
tools and skills needed to ensure the health of his people. I do believe that is an excellent point,
God has led many of us down the path of healthcare and medicine for the public, just as he has
led many others on their desired career paths that they have chosen. One thing I wanted to
point out was the use of herbs and certain foods in one’s diet. This is a more holistic approach
to curing certain diseases, though it can not health all illnesses it is still the preferred method
by many. Unfortunately, the use of pharmaceuticals drugs must be introduced in order to treat
extreme cases. In my opinion, incorporating herbs and certain foods along with
pharmaceuticals in a healthy balance will be much more beneficial. As far as pastoral care,
some classmates discussed that this option should be given during times of emotional distress,
mental instability, the loss of a loved one, and or various other stressors that might hinder an
individual from functioning in their day-to-day life. I don’t necessarily agree with this, I believe
that if one is suffering, they should have access to an individual to who they are able to talk.
This is someone who’s not involved with their everyday life, and someone who many trusts.
“Worship the LORD your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away
sickness from among you.” Exodus 23:25
I came across this statement numerous times during this week’s discussion post, and that is
when and how to address religious and spiritual issues between the healthcare provider and
the patient.
Spiritual and religious practices and beliefs are important to many patients, however many
physicians, medical students, and even residents are uncertain about whether, how, or when
it’s appropriate to address religious or spiritual issues. In previous times, physicians were
trained to treat and diagnose illnesses with little to no training on how to incorporate the
religious/spiritual side of the patient.1 Physicians are expected to not impinge their beliefs on
those who are in a vulnerable state when seeking health care. Further, in our nation’s culture of
many religions,
there are numerous belief systems ranging from agnosticism, and atheism, to a myriad
assortment of spiritual practices. Not all physicians are expected to understand and or
empathize with the practices and beliefs of the many different faith communities. At first, the
solution to
this would be to avoid spiritual or religious content in the doctor-patient interaction.
Unfortunately, the simplest solution may not be the best one. Studies show that the spiritual
practices and religious beliefs of patients are powerful factors that aid in coping with illnesses,
making a certain choice about the treatment they wish to receive, and in decisions about end-
of- life care.2 I think a combination of the three is beneficial in the healing of any illness “Do
you not know that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, who have you
received from God? You are not your own” Corinthians 6:19
I had responded to a few of my classmates on the importance of pastoral care. It’s definitely
beneficial to those that need that support. When an individual is sick, it is much easier said than
done to have any kind of motivation or stay positive in times of need. Church members and
pastors can brighten someone’s day just by being present with them and knowing that they will
be there for them during these difficult times. One thing I did mention in some of my responses
is how we shouldn’t rely on prayer solely. There should be a balance between the
three. Often times people solely rely on prayer which can, unfortunately, lead to losing their life.
Of course, there are those who are not religious and are not expected to respond to prayer. This
goes back to the fact that the patient and the healthcare provider must be on the same page
when discussing the patient’s care and treatment plan. When the healthcare provider has the
appropriate skills at understanding and perceive the patient’s beliefs, it equates to perceptions
of not only higher quality care but also much more effective communication.
Do we want socialized medicine?
I believe that this topic should be discussed a lot more than it is now. I was quite excited to
see what my classmates had to say on this topic. Many of my classmates were in support of
socialized medicine and talked about the pros of socialized medicine, including how it’s
affordable to all patients and medicines are sold at a meager price. This is beneficial, especially
for those who are suffering from serious illnesses as they wouldn’t have to worry about the
amount, they would spend on undergoing any medical procedure or the cost of medication.
Others also discussed the cons of having socialized medicine such as an increase in
competition between hospitals and lower rates for services along with drugs receiving a large
portion of the business. This means that hospitals would be structured more as a business
rather than a place for people to heal. Humans shouldn’t have to choose between treating an
illness and feeding their family or paying bills versus having a needed procedure. Very few of
my classmates brought up the topic of having insurance, but the cost of insurance versus the
benefits it provides is really not as grand as it seems.
I also believe that we are currently not able to have socialized medicine come into effect. In
order to implement this regulation, we need diversity and education along with a change to
our healthcare system. Studies have shown that more physicians are opting out of the Medicare
program. It has come to the point that the state of Hawaii’s legislators has proposed a bill that
forces providers to accept Medicare.4 In not doing so, they lose their medical license. This is just
one example of coercion done by the government. A similar standardized compensation system
has been done on public-school teachers, punishing excellent teachers, and rewarding mediocre
ones. This creates a bifurcated education system where private schools deliver higher quality
teaching to those who can afford to pay the tuition on top of taxes, while the other families who
can’t afford it attend low-quality public schools. These public schools that are in low-income
areas understaffed and short on government funds. Low-income/rural towns have much fewer
capabilities and less mobile than urbanized areas. People who live in areas like this have a much
harder time getting to a doctor’s office that can provide them with the treatment they need. A
critical factor when planning for any type of healthcare plan is ensuring equal access to
providers.
As many pointed out, socialized medicine can impact society in a negative or positive
way. One thing I do stand for is that everyone should have access to healthcare regardless of their
economic status. A quote from the Bible states, “But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are
well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” (Matthew 9:12). As good as it may
sound, is anything truly free? To dive more into the topic of insurance, I brought up universal
healthcare through three models: national health insurance, single-payer, and mandatory
insurance. What they have in common is that payment is required through a direct payment or an
increase in taxes.3 Because of this, socialized medicine isn’t truly free and unfortunately will not
solve the healthcare crisis we are currently facing. In fact, I believe it will make it worse because
of the system inefficiencies. Additionally, I would like to point out that effective patient
treatment will also start to decrease because of the increase in patients. This will only lead to
many overworked and stressed-out staff which is something that we all witnessed during the
pandemic. In my opinion, the potential benefits of socialized medicine do not outweigh
the negative effects.
References
1.Puchalski CM. The role of Spirituality in Health Care [Online]. Proceedings (Baylor
University. Medical Center) Baylor Health Care System: 2001.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1305900/ [22 Feb. 2018].
2.4. Spirituality and Medicine [Online]. Spirituality and Medicine: Ethical Topic in
Medicine. https://depts.washington.edu/bioethx/topics/spirit.html [20 Feb. 2018].
3.Amadeo K. What is universal health care? The Balance.
https://www.thebalance.com/universal-health-care-4156211. Published March 13,
2020.
4.Connectusfundadmin. 6 Principal Pros and Cons of Socialized Medicine [Online].
ConnectUS: 2017. https://connectusfund.org/6-principal-pros-and-cons-of-socialized-
medicine [20 Feb. 2018].
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