Infusion of Sound: Personalized Receptive Music-Based Intervention (rMBI) During Infusion Sessions

Nonpharmacological methods to manage symptoms of cancer and its treatment sequelae, including receptive music-based interventions (rMBIs), have gained traction due to their limited adverse effects and beneficial impact. Despite these benefits, implementation and analysis of personalized rMBIs in the infusion setting remain limited.

This study provided patients with a personalized rMBI during their infusion session and assessed changes in symptom burden and vitals to evaluate intervention efficacy.

The rMBI involved listening to a personalized playlist on Spotify on an iPad for 30 minutes and was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Outcomes include vitals and symptom burden (measured with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, ESAS) pre- and post-rMBI; changes were analyzed with paired t-tests. Post-rMBI, patient reflections were collected and analyzed with a rapid qualitative analysis approach.

This is a self-controlled case series among adult patients receiving infusion therapy at a single academic community hospital in the United States.

A total of 50 participants were recruited. From the ESAS, rMBI led to significant decreases in pain (p = 0.011), tiredness (p < 0.0001), nausea (p = 0.014), anxiety (p = 0.005), and shortness of breath (p = 0.002), as well as a significant increase in feelings of well-being (p < 0.0001). Heart rate (p < 0.0001) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.0234) also decreased post-rMBI. Patient narratives demonstrated common themes of escape, reflection/nostalgia, comfort/peace, hope, and rejuvenation.

Personalized rMBIs are effective in managing symptoms and enhancing overall well-being in patients receiving infusions. These results support incorporating rMBIs as part of the patient experience and standard of care at infusion centers (NCT06450626).