Digital Spiritual Care

The project "Digital Spiritual Care" examines the digitalization of interprofessional spiritual care and the associated changes in the professional field of clinical pastoral care.

Just as the ongoing digitalization of the healthcare system is changing the daily practice of healthcare professionals, it also profoundly impacts the work of those who provide spiritual care. Digital technologies are increasingly shaping the organization of their work, their forms of communication and, last but not least, the expectations and practices of patients.

The aim of this research project is to obtain an overview of current developments and to analyze the opportunities and limits of digitalization in this field. Five areas are examined:

1. the digitalization of interprofessional communication in the healthcare system, especially in the form of documenting healthcare chaplaincy in electronic patient files;

2. digital forms of healthcare chaplaincy (e.g., 'telechaplaincy');

3. the digitalization of patients' spiritual practices (e.g., participation in online prayer groups, discussion forums, live streams, etc.);

4. digital methods of quality control (e.g., patient-reported outcome measures); and

5. the digitalization of spiritual care research and education.

The project develops empirical and orientational knowledge for the further development of pastoral spiritual care in an increasingly digital healthcare system.