Using Music to Teach Health Professions Students to Listen Closely and Promote Peace

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Patient-Centered Care
• Communication Skills

Background:

• Effective patient care hinges on clinicians fostering safety, respect, and attentiveness.
• Close listening is crucial for clinicians to focus attention and allow for reflection.
• Current health professions education often underemphasizes close listening compared to other communication skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the importance of close listening in promoting peace with patients.
• To propose strategies for teaching close listening, drawing from musical arts education.
• To integrate close listening as a core skill in clinical practice.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing literature on communication skills in health professions education.
• Adapting methods from musical arts education for teaching listening skills.
• Developing practical strategies for clinicians to practice and implement close listening.

Main Results:

• Close listening is a teachable skill that enhances patient-clinician interactions.
• Musical arts education offers effective models for cultivating focused attention and reflective listening.
• Implementing these strategies can improve the patient experience and promote a sense of peace.

Conclusions:

• Close listening is a vital, yet often overlooked, skill for promoting peace in patient care.
• Musical arts education provides a valuable framework for teaching effective listening.
• Formalizing close listening instruction can significantly enhance clinician competence and patient well-being.