The Music Therapy Patient Questionnaire Pilot Study
Music therapy is the use of musical interventions to achieve personal objectives through a therapeutic relationship with a music therapist (MT-BC). The MT-BC employs evidence-based strategies such as guided relaxation, lyric analysis and instrument playing to relieve physical symptoms, increase self-expression, improve communication and reduce anxiety or depression.
The Music Therapy BC monitors the patient’s progress throughout each session to adjust treatment plans as necessary. This could include selecting appropriate music, setting session lengths and frequency/duration, recording audio files for future reference – provided patients provide written informed consent in advance. Documenting sessions this way ensures both parties benefit from documented documentation without compromising care provided.
At the initial study visit, all patients will receive information about the intervention and be asked to fill out a music therapy patient questionnaire. This survey is designed to gauge patient satisfaction with the experience and their expectations for the future. It also allows the music therapist to determine what needs exist for future sessions and whether any adjustments need to be made in order to meet those demands.
This questionnaire will be converted to an electronic data file and uploaded onto the trial website. It will be accessible for patients to download in the weeks following their final session, with access by members of the research team.
In order to maintain blinding in the study, we have engaged an outcome adjudicator and statistician who are both blinded to treatment allocation. Furthermore, we have negotiated a non-reviewable protocol with the hospice so that all recruitment and attrition figures remain confidential.
We have selected to recruit patients on the palliative end of life register because they require extra supportive care. They often struggle with physical and emotional needs such as pain control, shortness of breath, depression, spiritual distress and impaired communication; further compounding their already fragile state. If this pilot study proves successful then music therapy could become a powerful intervention for this population.
Music therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for palliative patients, relieving pain and improving quality of life. Unfortunately, more high-quality studies on this population are needed. Therefore, the purpose of this project is to investigate the feasibility of a music therapy intervention in a UK-based single centre pilot RCT.
During the trial, patients will receive two 30-45 minute music therapy sessions per week for three consecutive weeks. A follow-up questionnaire will be administered after one, three and five weeks as well as a qualitative interview with patients and their carers.