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Volume 7, Issue 3 (Suppl) J Palliat Care Med, an open access journal
ISSN: 2165-7386 Palliative Care 2017
June 21- 22, 2017
Page 27
conferenceseries.com
3rd International Conference on
June 21- 22, 2017 | Philadelphia, USA
Palliative Care & Hospice Nursing
Joanne Reid, J Palliat Care Med 2017, 7:3(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2165-7386-C1-007
EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF MUSIC THERAPY IN IMPROVING THE
QUALITY OF LIFE OF PALLIATIVE CARE PATIENTS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY STUDY
Statement of the Problem: Music therapy is increasingly being used as a palliative therapy, with the primary aim of improving
people’s quality of life. To date, primarily because of a paucity of robust research, the evidence for music therapy’s effectiveness
on patient reported outcomes is positive but weak, and no guidelines have been developed. The primary aim of this pilot study
is to test the feasibility of administering the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire (MQOL) in terms of acceptability to hospice
inpatients, and whether attrition affects the viability of a three week music therapy intervention in order to calculate the sample
size required for a phase III randomized trial. The secondary aim is to evaluate the potential effectiveness of music therapy for
improving the quality of life of hospice inpatients.
Methodology &Theoretical Orientation: A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) supplemented with qualitative methods
with n=52 hospice inpatients was considered. Baseline data collection included the MQOL and socio-demographic data.
Participants in the intervention arms were offered two 30-45 minute sessions of music therapy per week for three consecutive
weeks, in addition to care as usual. Participants in the control arm received care as usual. Follow-up measures administered at
1, 3 and 5-weeks. Qualitative data collection involved focus group/interviews with HCPs and careers.
Findings: At present we are approaching 75% of our recruitment target (recruitment extended until July 2017). The quantitative
findings of this feasibility trial help to ascertain the viability of the music therapy intervention for this population and the
most appropriate follow period. Qualitative data from practitioners, patients and their family members support music therapy
interventions in a palliative care in-patient hospice setting.
Conclusion & Significance: Findings from this study will inform the design of a phase III multi-site RCT. Findings in
relation to the potential effectiveness of music therapy will provide support for NHS and third sector Specialist Palliative
Care commissioners and service providers to make an evidence-based decision on whether to incorporate music therapy in
palliative care services.
Biography
Joanne Reid is a Reader (Associate Professor) in Cancer Nursing. She is a prominent Researcher in palliative care as evidenced by her publications in both professional
and leading international journals, leadership of successful funding bids, and research awards. She has led qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research which
aims to improve the quality of life of palliative care patients and their lay and professional carers, along with improving palliative/end-of-life care education. Her work had
informed national end -of- life guidelines, she sits on several editorial boards and is Associate Editor with BMC Palliative care and is an External Examiner in the European
Certificate in essential palliative care course.
Joanne Reid
Queen’s University Belfast, Ireland