"This Won't Hurt a Bit": Is There a Role for Music in Bedside Procedures?

Area of Science:

• Clinical Medicine
• Medical Humanities
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Music has a historical role in healing, but its clinical integration is slow.
• Recent evidence links music interventions to improved health-related quality of life.
• Music impacts physiological parameters like heart rate and blood pressure, and reduces pain and anxiety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for the integration of patient-selected music into clinical practice.
• To reduce patient anxiety, pain, and the need for pharmacologic sedation during procedures.
• To explore music's potential to improve clinical outcomes in patient-centered care.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on music interventions in healthcare settings.
• Analysis of studies demonstrating music's effect on physiological and psychological parameters.
• Proposal for a standardized checklist item for patient music choice during bedside procedural training.

Main Results:

• Music interventions are associated with clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life.
• Music has been shown to reduce sedation requirements in operating rooms and other procedural suites.
• Evidence suggests music can actively reduce patient pain and anxiety.

Conclusions:

• Implementing patient choice of music during bedside procedures is feasible and beneficial.
• Music offers a non-pharmacologic approach to manage pain, anxiety, and sedation.
• Personalized music selection can enhance patient experience and potentially improve clinical outcomes.