The goal of this observational study is to is to ascertain the spiritual needs of palliative patients in a standardized manner using the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire and to promptly address those needs by (specialized) spiritual care.

To determine whether the effort of implementing the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire on a sustainable basis on the one hand brings the expected benefit to the patients and on the other hand can be provided by the pastoral care personnel, at Muenster University Hospital (specialized) spiritual care interventions will be documented in detail and retrospectively and prospectively collected data will be compared.

Inclusion Criteria:

• All individual indication for general and specialised Palliative Care in clinical setting/routine (e.g.):

  • Progressive, malign tumours
  • Progressive, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Patients with progressive disease and limited life expectancy (< ca. 12 months)

• Patients attended by Palliative Caregivers in counselling services or on palliative ward

• Life expectancy > 2 weeks

• Sufficient comprehension of German language and writing that allows an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.

• Existence of an independently signed written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cognitive impairment
• capacity for consent lacking or impaired
• impaired comprehension of German language and writing that would not allow an autonomous or supported completion of the questionnaire.

The study population consists of patients assigned to general and specialized Palliative Care due to justifying indications like progressive malign and non-malign diseases that need inpatient treatment provided by either counselling services or on palliative ward.