What is Holistic Medicine

Transformations in understanding the dying process include a focus on the holistic life of the individual, particularly understanding and respecting ethnic and religious variations in the dying process and end-of-life care. This is vital to ensure the dying process is considered a “good” one. Health services professionals are often lacking in culturally-appropriate training for dying patients that ranges outside pain management and physical symptom maintenance. Dying, however, does not just happen to the physical body. It is necessary to care for a patient's religious, social, and psychological selves as well. This chapter focuses on healthcare practices for professionals involved in end-of-life care, particularly for Muslim patients. Emphasis is placed on the role of cultural and religious understanding in providing patients and their families with a good dying experience.