Public ations ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 <0x0A> </s> ▁As ▁per ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁medical ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁offer ▁courses ▁on ▁spiritual ity ▁and ▁medicine . ▁The ▁Association ▁of ▁American ▁Medical ▁Colleg es ▁( A AM C ) ▁has ▁co - sp ons ored , ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Institute ▁for ▁Health care ▁Research , ▁ 4 ▁con ferences , ▁on ▁curr icular ▁development ▁in ▁spiritual ity ▁and ▁medicine ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁Ass ess ing ▁spiritual ity ▁ ▁Ask ing ▁patients ▁questions ▁about ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁life , ▁their ▁accept ance ▁of ▁their ▁own ▁or ▁others ' ▁fail ures , ▁and ▁how ▁they ▁experience ▁connected ness ▁with ▁others ▁should ▁have ▁the ▁goal ▁of ▁assess ing ▁how ▁satisfied ▁the ▁patient ▁is ▁with ▁the ▁answers ▁to ▁these ▁questions . ▁By ▁developing ▁personal ▁relationships ▁with ▁their ▁patients ▁and ▁their ▁families , ▁health ▁profession als ▁can ▁better ▁assess ▁patients ' ▁spiritual ▁situation . ▁Some ▁examples ▁of ▁opening ▁questions ▁in ▁a ▁spiritual ▁assess ment ▁are ▁as ▁follows : ▁ ▁" Do ▁you ▁have ▁a ▁religious ▁preference ?" ▁ ▁" Are ▁there ▁any ▁spiritual ▁or ▁religious ▁practices ▁that ▁are ▁important ▁to ▁you ?" ▁ ▁" W ould ▁you ▁like ▁for ▁us ▁to ▁contact ▁your ▁cler gy ▁member ▁or ▁religious ▁ad visor ? ". ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁spiritual ity ▁in ▁ill ness ▁ ▁The ▁prospect ▁of ▁death ▁may ▁lead ▁a ▁patient ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁questions ▁related ▁to ▁meaning ▁of ▁life , ▁such ▁as