Volume 12, Issue 2 (June 2025)
Health Spiritual Med Ethics 2025, 12(2): 117-130 |
Back to browse issues page
Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:
Hoosen M, Roman N V, Mthembu T G, Naseer M. Transforming Unani Tibb: Integrating Spiritual Care Into Clinical Practice Through Consensus. Health Spiritual Med Ethics 2025; 12 (2) :117-130
URL: http://jhsme.muq.ac.ir/article-1-604-en.html
URL: http://jhsme.muq.ac.ir/article-1-604-en.html
1- School of Natural Medicine, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa. , mahoosen@uwc.ac.za
2- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Family and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, The University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
3- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
4- Department of Moalejat, Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, Faculty of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.
2- Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Family and Society, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, The University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
3- Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.
4- Department of Moalejat, Ajmal Khan Tibbiya College, Faculty of Unani Medicine, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.
Abstract: (496 Views)
Background and Objectives: Unani Tibb is a holistic medical system incorporating traditional healing practices from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It emphasizes healing the mind, body, and soul; however, spirituality and spiritual care often remain underexplored in practice. There is a recognized need for guidelines on spiritual care within Unani Tibb clinical practice as a vital component for transformation.
Methods: A two-phased sequential exploratory research design was used to create guidelines for integrating spirituality and spiritual care into clinical practice. Phase two involved a consensus workshop with Unani Tibb stakeholders from South Africa, informed by the findings of phase one, which included various quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies. Qualitative data from phase two underwent thematic analysis to extract key insights.
Results: A diverse panel of 14 registered educators, practitioners, researchers, and experts in Unani Tibb was successfully formed from three provinces in South Africa. This collaborative effort led to the development of 40 comprehensive guidelines to enhance spiritual care within Unani Tibb clinical practice.
Conclusion: The consensus workshop recommends that Unani Tibb spiritual care guidelines reflect its foundational philosophy. This includes establishing competencies in spiritual care, facilitating the process of spiritual history-taking, conducting temperament analyses, outlining treatment protocols, implementing a referral system, and promoting ongoing personal and professional development by integrating aspects of spirituality and spiritual care.
Methods: A two-phased sequential exploratory research design was used to create guidelines for integrating spirituality and spiritual care into clinical practice. Phase two involved a consensus workshop with Unani Tibb stakeholders from South Africa, informed by the findings of phase one, which included various quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies. Qualitative data from phase two underwent thematic analysis to extract key insights.
Results: A diverse panel of 14 registered educators, practitioners, researchers, and experts in Unani Tibb was successfully formed from three provinces in South Africa. This collaborative effort led to the development of 40 comprehensive guidelines to enhance spiritual care within Unani Tibb clinical practice.
Conclusion: The consensus workshop recommends that Unani Tibb spiritual care guidelines reflect its foundational philosophy. This includes establishing competencies in spiritual care, facilitating the process of spiritual history-taking, conducting temperament analyses, outlining treatment protocols, implementing a referral system, and promoting ongoing personal and professional development by integrating aspects of spirituality and spiritual care.
Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
General
Received: 2024/12/9 | Accepted: 2025/04/5 | Published: 2025/05/31
Received: 2024/12/9 | Accepted: 2025/04/5 | Published: 2025/05/31
References
1. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO traditional medicine strategy: 2014-2023. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2013. [Link]
2. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO global report on traditional and complementary medicine. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. [Link]
3. WHO Team. WHO Traditional medicine global summit 2023 meeting report: Gujarat declaration. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023; 14(5):100821. [DOI:10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100821] [PMID] [DOI:10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100821]
4. Hoosen M, Roman NV, Mthembu TG. The development of guidelines for the inclusion of spirituality and spiritual care in unani tibb practice in South Africa: A study protocol. J Relig Health. 2022; 61(2):1261-81. [DOI:10.1007/s10943-020-01105-5] [PMID] [DOI:10.1007/s10943-020-01105-5]
5. Koenig HG. Religion, spirituality, and health: the research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry. 2012; 2012:278730. [DOI:10.5402/2012/278730] [PMID] [DOI:10.5402/2012/278730]
6. Qureshi NA, Khalil AA, Alsanad SM. Spiritual and religious healing practices: Some reflections from saudi national center for complementary and alternative medicine, riyadh. J Relig Health. 2020; 59(2):845-69. [DOI:10.1007/s10943-018-0677-0] [PMID] [DOI:10.1007/s10943-018-0677-0]
7. World Health Organization (WHO). WHO benchmarks for the practice of unani medicine. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022. [Link]
8. Bhikha R. Why Tibb is: A science of medicine, the art of care. Hist Philos Med 2022; 4(2):11. [DOI:10.53388/HPM20220401011] [DOI:10.53388/HPM20220401011]
9. Pajević A, Pajević I, Hasanović M, & Jakovljevic M. Medicine and psychology of Ibn Sina (Avicenna)-A unique scientific and religious approach. Psychiatr Danub. 2021; 33(3):64-73. [DOI:10.5005/sar-1-1-2-64] [DOI:10.5005/sar-1-1-2-64]
10. Hoosen M, Roman NV, Mthembu TG. The role of spirituality and spiritual care in complementary and alternative medicine: A scoping review. Bangladesh J Med Sci. 2020; 20(4):714-24. [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v20i4.54125] [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v20i4.54125]
11. Hoosen M, Roman NV, Mthembu TG, Naseer M. Unani Tibb practitioners' perceptions and attitudes towards spirituality and spiritual care in Unani Tibb practice in South Africa. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023; 23(1):189. [DOI:10.1186/s12906-023-04002-y] [PMID] [DOI:10.1186/s12906-023-04002-y]
12. Hoosen M, Roman NV, Mthembu TG, & Naseer M. Unani tibb students' and educators' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care in education in South Africa: A mixed methods study. Afr J Health Prof Educ. 2024; 16(3):e1625. [DOI:10.7196/AJHPE.2024.v16i3.1625] [DOI:10.7196/AJHPE.2024.v16i3.1625]
13. Puchalski C, Ferrell B, Virani R, Otis-Green S, Baird P, Bull J, et al. Improving the quality of spiritual care as a dimension of palliative care: The report of the consensus conference. J Palliat Med. 2009; 12(10):885-904. [DOI:10.1089/jpm.2009.0142] [PMID] [DOI:10.1089/jpm.2009.0142]
14. Puchalski CM, Vitillo R, Hull SK, Reller N. Improving the spiritual dimension of whole person care: Reaching national and international consensus. J Palliat Med. 2014; 17(6):642-56. [DOI:10.1089/jpm.2014.9427] [PMID] [DOI:10.1089/jpm.2014.9427]
15. Lasair S. A narrative approach to spirituality and spiritual care in health care. J Relig Health. 2020; 59(3):1524-40. [DOI:10.1007/s10943-019-00912-9] [PMID] [DOI:10.1007/s10943-019-00912-9]
16. Lasair S. What's the point of spiritual care? A narrative response. J Pastoral Care Counsel. 2019; 73(2):115-23. [DOI:10.1177/1542305019846846] [PMID] [DOI:10.1177/1542305019846846]
17. Melhem GA, Zeilani RS, Zaqqout OA, Aljwad AI, Shawagfeh MQ, Al-Rahim MA. Nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care giving: A comparison study among all health care sectors in Jordan. Indian J Palliat Care. 2016; 22(1):42-9. [DOI:10.4103/0973-1075.173949] [PMID] [DOI:10.4103/0973-1075.173949]
18. Mthembu TG, Wegner L, & Roman, NV. Guidelines to integrate spirituality and spiritual care in occupational therapy education: A modified Delphi study. Occup Ther Ment Health 2017; 34(2):181-201. [DOI:10.1080/0164212X.2017.1362367] [DOI:10.1080/0164212X.2017.1362367]
19. Costeira C, Querido A, Ventura F, Loureiro H, Coelho J, Benito E, et al. Spiritual care[givers] competence in palliative care: A scoping review. Healthcare. 2024; 12(11):1059. [DOI:10.3390/healthcare12111059] [PMID] [DOI:10.3390/healthcare12111059]
20. Vieten C, Lukoff D. Spiritual and religious competencies in psychology. Am Psychol. 2022; 77(1):26-38. [DOI:10.1037/amp0000821] [PMID] [DOI:10.1037/amp0000821]
21. Alavi S. Unani medicine: health, religion, and politics in colonial India: New York: Routledge; 2021. [Link] [DOI:10.4324/9781315207964-12]
22. Galvin M, Chiwaye L, Moolla A. Religious and medical pluralism among traditional healers in Johannesburg, South Africa. J Relig Health. 2024; 63(2):907-23. [DOI:10.1007/s10943-023-01795-7] [PMID] [DOI:10.1007/s10943-023-01795-7]
23. Mahilall R, Swartz L. Spiritual care practices in hospices in the Western cape, South Africa: The challenge of diversity. BMC Palliat Care. 2021; 20(1):9. [DOI:10.1186/s12904-020-00704-z] [PMID] [DOI:10.1186/s12904-020-00704-z]
24. Mothibe ME, Sibanda M. African traditional medicine: South African perspective. London: IntechOpen; 2019. [DOI:10.5772/intechopen.83790] [DOI:10.5772/intechopen.83790]
25. Selman LE, Harding R, Agupio G, Fox PT, Galimaka D, Mmolend, K, et al. Spiritual care recommendations for people receiving palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa: With special reference to South Africa and Uganda. London: Cicely Saunders International; 2010. [Link]
26. De Leo A, Bloxsome D, Bayes S. Approaches to clinical guideline development in healthcare: A scoping review and document analysis. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023; 23(1):37. [DOI:10.1186/s12913-022-08975-3] [PMID] [DOI:10.1186/s12913-022-08975-3]
27. Ørngreen R, Levinsen KT. Workshops as a research methodology. Electron J E Learn. 2017; 15(1):70-81. [Link]
28. Cantrill JA, Sibbald B, Buetow S. The Delphi and nominal group techniques in health services research. Int J Pharm Pract. 1996;4(2):67-74. [DOI:10.1111/j.2042-7174.1996.tb00844.x] [DOI:10.1111/j.2042-7174.1996.tb00844.x]
29. Creswell JW. Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications; 2017. [Link]
30. Davids R, Roman N, & Schenck C. The co-development of a framework to support parents of children with a hearing loss: Using a consensus workshop. Soc Work. 2023; 59(1):24-41. [DOI:10.15270/59-1-1091] [DOI:10.15270/59-1-1091]
31. Azmand S, Heydari M. Medical ethics according to Avicenna's stance: A synopsis. Galen Med J. 2017; 6(4):e768. [DOI:10.31661/gmj.v6i4.768] [DOI:10.31661/gmj.v6i4.768]
32. Bhikha R, Glynn J. Review article: The role of Tibb in integrative medicine for diseases of lifestyle. Bangladesh J Med Sci. 2017; 16(1):13-20. [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v16i1.31126] [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v16i1.31126]
33. Hoosen M. Temperament an important principle for health preservation in Tibb an-Nabawi and Unani-Tibb. Bangladesh J Med Sci. 2017; 16(4):487-95. [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v16i4.33600] [DOI:10.3329/bjms.v16i4.33600]
Send email to the article author
| Rights and permissions | |
 |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
Owned by Qom University of Medical Sciences
Published by Qom University of Medical Sciences Press
eISSN: 2383-3610
pISSN: 2322-4304
Email: j.hsme[at]muq.ac.ir
spirituality14[at]gmail.com
