Integration of Spirituality in Medical Education in Iran: A Qualitative Exploration of Requirements

Table 4

Codes and categories associated with theme of challenges.

Theme	Category	Codes
Challenges	Challenges in academic planning	Lack of consensus on definition of spiritual health
		Intangible and abstract concept of spirituality
		Materialistic and experimental views in medicine
		Lack of domestic interventions and models
	Barriers to implementation	Lack of feeling of the need in many professors
		Spiritual care considered as interference uncalled for
		Clinicians not spending time
		Implementation by people other than program writers
		Overloaded curriculum
		Need for role-models and teachers
		Need for spiritual-therapy specialist
		Unpredictability of outcomes of implementation across the country