| Learning Objective #1: The learner will be to describe the application of music therapy in a general hospital setting. | |||
| Learning Objective #2: The learner will be to understand the use of music therapy managing patients symptoms. |
Abstract for “Using Music Therapy for Patient Symptom Management”
Acute care hospitals have started to use music therapy as an adjunct therapy. However the research findings are mixed as to the effectiveness of this therapy. Part of this problem is due to small sample studies. This study measured the effects of nurse-referred patients for music therapy. The hypothesis was that there would be a significant reduction in patient symptom severity, when measured pre and post music therapy intervention, for patients receiving music therapy, compared to patients that did not receive music therapy (control group).
The study had 100 patients, all referred to the program by their nurse caregivers. Referral reasons were as follows:
v Agitation
v Restlessness (inability to relax)
v Anxiety
v Feelings of Sadness
v Pain
v Discomfort (consolation in time of trouble or worry)
v Patient or Family Request
v Other as considered appropriate by the nurse caregiver
Two hospital units were used (medical and orthopedic), each with 50 patients. Of each unit’s patients, 25 enrolled in the music therapy group and 25 enrolled in the control group, using blind randomization.
The data were examined using descriptive statistics, plots, parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses. Statistical significance was detected at alpha = 0.05.
Music therapy patients had statistically significant reductions in severity of pain, discomfort and sadness compared to control. Borderline not statistically significant reduction was indicated for anxiety.
Control patients had statistically significant reductions in discomfort and borderline not statistically significant reduction in pain. Control reductions were significantly less than music therapy reductions.
Our conclusions were:
1) Music therapy was effective in reducing the severity of some symptoms in patients who received the intervention.
2) Music therapy is a useful tool to managing symptoms for patients in medical and orthopedic units of a general hospital.
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