Dignity-conserving Individual Music Therapy Protocol for Patients Near the End of Life

Research in end-of-life care is complex with specific ethical and practical challenges related to epistemology, methodology and recruitment of people approaching the end of life. However, to ensure the provision of high-quality care research efforts need to be aligned with the priorities of patients, their families, and interdisciplinary team members. A more systematic engagement of all three groups in research is needed to promote tailored and appropriate end-of-life care. In this methodological article I propose a conceptual framework for community-based participatory music therapy research in end-of-life care scenarios as one promising strategy to respond to ethical and practical challenges, to handle complexity and advance integration of perspectives. The conceptual framework consists of two thematic clusters i) Participlinarity across contexts, and ii) Community-based participatory music therapy research in end-of-life care scenarios. Though in the early stages of development, the framework addresses issues of educational strategies and continuity of care, and aims to contribute to innovative music therapy research in the future.

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Supportive Cancer Care at the End of Life: Mapping the Cultural Landscape in Palliative Care and Music Therapy

Music and Medicine ◽

10.1177/1943862110390820 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 9-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Forrest

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Music Therapy ◽

End Of Life ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Cultural Landscape ◽

Supportive Cancer Care

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Music therapy and spiritual care in end-of-life

10.17077/etd.0kea4t3b ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Meganne Kathleen Masko

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

End Of Life ◽

Spiritual Care

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Music Therapy and Spiritual Care in End-of-Life: A Qualitative Inquiry into Ethics and Training Issues Identified by Chaplains and Music Therapists: Table 1.

Journal of Music Therapy ◽

10.1093/jmt/thw009 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 53 (4) ◽

pp. 309-335 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Meganne K. Masko

Keyword(s):

Music Therapy ◽

End Of Life ◽

Spiritual Care ◽

Qualitative Inquiry ◽

Music Therapists ◽

And Training

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23 Findings from a pilot and feasibility trial of a music therapy intervention in specialist palliative care

BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care ◽

10.1136/bmjspcare-2018-mariecurie.23 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 368.2-368

Author(s):

Lisa Graham-Wisener ◽

Joanne Reid ◽

Tracy McConnell ◽

Kerry McGrillen ◽

Jenny Kirkwood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Palliative Care ◽

Music Therapy ◽

End Of Life ◽

End Of Life Care ◽

Phase Iii ◽

Feasibility Trial ◽

Life Care ◽

Attrition Rates ◽

Therapy Intervention

IntroductionMusic therapy aligns to the holistic approach to palliative and end-of-life care (PEOLC) with increased prevalence in PEOLC settings (Graham-Wisener et al. 2018). Despite this there is a dearth of high-quality evidence examining the impact of music therapy towards end of life on quality of life (McConnell et al. 2016).AimsThe aim of this pilot and feasibility study was to: test procedures; outcomes and validated tools; estimate recruitment and attrition rates; and calculate the sample size required for a phase III randomised controlled trial.MethodsA single-centre pilot and feasibility trial with patients admitted to a specialist palliative care inpatient unit within the United Kingdom. Participants were randomised (1:1) to either a music therapy intervention of two 30–45 min sessions of music therapy per week for three consecutive weeks or usual care. The primary outcome measure was to evaualte the feasibility of administering the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQoL) baseline with follow-up measures at one, three and five weeks.Results51 participants were recruited to the trial over a 12 month period. Feasibility of administering music therapy intervention and attrition rates identified one-week follow-up as an appropriate primary outcome. Results suggest a likely effect on MQoL total score between intervention and control arms in particular the existential subscale.ConclusionThe current study resolved a number of issues towards informing robust procedures for a phase III RCT. This data is urgently needed to ensure an evidence-based decision on inclusion of music therapy in palliative care services.References. Graham-Wisener L, Watts G, Kirkwood J, Harrison C, McEwan J, Porter S, Reid J, McConnell TH. Music therapy in UK palliative and end-of-life care: A service evaluation. BMJ supportive & palliative care2018.. McConnell T, Scott D, Porter S. Music therapy for end-of-life care: An updated systematic review. Palliative Medicine2016;30(9):877–883.

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