A study recently released by the University of Chicago reports that 55 percent of doctors -- predominantly Christians -- say their religion influences how they practice medicine.

"Doctors are human and they bring everything they are to their practices," study author Dr. Farr Curlin said. Farr is an internist and an instructor of general internal medicine in the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics at the University of Chicago.

He said about 76 percent of the 1,144 doctors who responded to the survey said they believe in God. The 12-page survey was mailed to 2,000 doctors and had a 63 percent response rate with a 1.7 percent margin or error.

The report was published in the July issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine and was considered surprising because it has long been said that science-oriented professionals are less inclined to believe in God.

"The conventional wisdom is that doctors are much less religious than their patients," Curlin said. "I was surprised that the doctors were not more different (from) the general population than we found them to be."

The findings will be the catalyst for future studies on how religion affects medical care and why some believers say they are not influenced by their beliefs, Curlin said.

"Physicians are much more likely to be a part of religious traditions that are not as well represented in the U.S.," Curlin said.

For example, 2 percent of the overall population -- based on 1998 General Social Survey data -- is Jewish, compared with 14 percent of physicians. Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population is Hindu, compared with 5 percent of doctors.

Religious doctors who are most likely to rely on God in their medical practices consider themselves Protestant, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, Buddhist or Mormon. More than 50 percent of those doctors said their religions influence their care. Doctors who are less likely to be influenced by their beliefs consider themselves Jewish, Hindu, atheist or agnostic.

"I don't know why that is but some suggest that it's tough to be a minority," Curlin said, adding that they are more likely to be cautious about how religion influences them.

It is uncertain how doctors integrate religion into their practices, but those who deal with reproductive health care are likely to encounter the struggles more.

"My own sense is that medicine is able to do an increasing amount of things," Curlin said. "Knowing what we can do doesn't tell us what we should do. We're going to have to come to grips with (the fact) that we're applying medicine in areas where people from different traditions don't agree."

Doctors may consciously or subconsciously know that their beliefs are influencing their practice, Curlin said.

Noel Tiano, director of the Nevada Center for Ethics & Health Policy at UNR, said doctors and patients should discuss their religious beliefs to understand how illnesses are perceived.

Doctors should "not let their biases get in the way," said Tiano, who has a doctorate degree in theology. "They should be obligated to refer that patient to another provider who could be of help; failure to do so would be abandonment."

Physician referrals may be necessary when terminating a pregnancy or high doses of pain medications are treatment options, he said.

"They don't have to agree but at least they can now refer to an appropriate agency or person who can bridge their traditions with their health care," he said.

Dr. Michael Colletti, president of the Clark County Medical Society and a rheumatologist, said that patients always have the right to go elsewhere.

Doctors aren't the only providers who implement certain policies because of religious beliefs. Catholic Healthcare West, owner of St. Rose Dominican Hospitals, does not perform abortions or tubal ligations or provide emergency contraception in most instances, hospital spokesman Andy North said.

In cases of sexual assault of nonpregnant women, emergency contraception can be given and tubal ligation -- tying of the fallopian tubes -- can be done for women whose lives would be in jeopardy if they became pregnant, North said.

Michelle Swafford covers health care and small business for In Business Las Vegas and its sister publication, the Las Vegas Sun. She can be reached by e-mail at swafford@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2326.