NACC Webinar: Telechaplaincy: Taking Chaplaincy Beyond the Patient Room

Presented by Petra Sprik, MDiv, MPH, BCC

Thursday, August 27, 2020 – 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Program Summary
In recent decades, telehealth (the provision of healthcare remotely via telecommunications technology) has increasingly been used to meet patients’ needs. As chaplains have contended with healthcare becoming progressively outpatient, the geographic spread of medical facilities, and growing patient volumes, we too have begun to explore how telehealth might deepen and expand spiritual care. Over the last couple years, several research studies have been published on the feasibility, acceptability, reception and implementation of telechaplaincy programs. Join us as we explore findings from telechaplaincy studies, discuss emerging best practices in telechaplaincy, and explore what telehealth might look like within your practice.

Program Objectives
As a result of this webinar, participants will:

1. Understand findings from research studies examining telechaplaincy
2. Explore emerging best practices in telechaplaincy
3. Discuss potential application of telechaplaincy to your professional context.

About the Presenter
Petra Sprik, MPH, MDiv, BCC is a staff chaplain at Levine Cancer Institute. Petra is also a Presbyterian (USA) minister. She received her BA from Duke University, her MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary, and her MPH from the University of South Carolina. Petra was a Transforming Chaplaincy research fellow, and currently convenes the Outpatient Spiritual Care Research Network. Petra’s research interests include: telechaplaincy, spiritual care with oncology patients, and moral injury reduction strategies with healthcare providers. Her recent publications include: “Cultural humility: a way to reduce LGBTQ health disparities at end of life,” and “Using patient-reported religious/ spiritual concerns to identify patients who accept chaplain interventions in an outpatient oncology setting.” She is currently working on a nation-wide study on telechaplaincy.

NACC Certification Competencies Covered by the Webinar: ITP6; PIC4; PIC5; PIC8; PPS1; PPS2; PPS4; PPS6; PPS8; PPS10; OL1