Abstract
BackgroundThe use of music as therapy in multidisciplinary end-of-life care dates back to the 1970s and nowadays music therapy (MT) is one of the most frequently used complementary therapy in in-patient palliative care in the US. However existing research investigated music therapy’s potential impact mainly from one perspective, referring to either a quantitative or qualitative paradigm. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the users’ and providers’ perspectives on music therapy in palliative care within one research article.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted using several databases supplemented with a hand-search of journals between November 1978 and December 2016. Inclusion criteria were: Music therapy with adults in palliative care conducted by a certified music therapist. Both quantitative and qualitative studies in English, German or a Scandinavian language published in peer reviewed journals were included. We aimed to identify and discuss the perspectives of both patients and health care providers on music therapy’s impact in palliative care to forward a comprehensive understanding of it’s effectiveness, benefits and limitations. We investigated themes mentioned by patients within qualitative studies, as well as commonly chosen outcome measures in quantitative research. A qualitative approach utilizing inductive content analysis was carried out to analyze and categorize the data.ResultsTwelve articles, reporting on nine quantitative and three qualitative research studies were included. Seven out of the nine quantitative studies investigated pain as an outcome. All of the included quantitative studies reported positive effects of the music therapy. Patients themselves associated MT with the expression of positive as well as challenging emotions and increased well-being. An overarching theme in both types of research is a psycho-physiological change through music therapy.ConclusionsBoth quantitative as well as qualitative research showed positive changes in psycho-physiological well-being. The integration of the users´ and providers´ perspectives within future research applicable for example in mixed-methods designs is recommended.
Highlights
The use of music as therapy in multidisciplinary end-of-life care dates back to the 1970s and nowadays music therapy (MT) is one of the most frequently used complementary therapy in in-patient palliative care in the US
MT was not found to contribute to acute pain reduction
The studies assembled in this integrative review report a range of benefits and positive effects of music therapy in palliative care from both the patient’s as well as the health care provider’s perspective
Summary
The use of music as therapy in multidisciplinary end-of-life care dates back to the 1970s and nowadays music therapy (MT) is one of the most frequently used complementary therapy in in-patient palliative care in the US. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the users’ and providers’ perspectives on music therapy in palliative care within one research article. Individuals with incurable diseases and limited life expectancy are vulnerable and often in need for multidisciplinary palliative care. This care should address the physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of an individual, applying a patient-centered approach. Music therapy applies a wide range of elaborated approaches, enloys high acceptance by patients and has few side effects [1, 3]. Existing research investigates music therapy’s potential impact mainly from one perspective, referring either to a quantitative or qualitative paradigm
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