Acceptability of Digital Spiritual Care: Results from a Mixed-Methods Study in Switzerland

This study aims to, first, measure previous experience with and acceptance of digital spiritual care in a healthcare context, and to identify related sociodemographic characteristics and religious/spiritual factors. Secondly, it explores the reasons related to the acceptability of different models of digital spiritual care during or after hospitalization following severe illness or accident.

A two-phase sequential explanatory mixed methods design was used based on a representative population survey of the Swiss canton of Zurich (N = 1,011) and semi-structured interviews (n = 12) using scenario-based discussion. A linear regression model was calculated to identify the effects of experience with digital spiritual care, sociodemographic variables, and self-assessed religiosity/spirituality on acceptance. Interviews were coded deductively considering the respondent’s view of the acceptance of each model and the reasons for it in different situations, perceived advantages and disadvantages, and other points of importance in a potential use case.

Acceptance is significantly related to age and previous experience, including experience with professional and self-care using digital tools. As shown in the qualitative phase, acceptance further varies according to the model of care (supplemental, hybrid, digital-only), the affordances of the technology in question, and context-specific factors.