Music Therapy to Enhance Quality of Life in a Patient with Cancer in Palliative Care: A Case Study

Authors

  • Thaya Sangaroon College of Music, Mahidol University
  • Natee Chiengchana Ratchasuda College
  • Ampai Buranapapuk College of Music, Mahidol University

Keywords:

Music Therapy, Palliative Care Patient, Patient With Cancer, Quality Of Life

Abstract

     The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of music therapy to enhance quality of life in a patient with cancer in palliative care. The experimental case study was utilized in this study to collect data through a series of observation and interviews. In this study, there were three participants who were the patient, the caregiver, and the nurse. The initial assessment was provided before the first music therapy session phase. The music therapy sessions consisted of five sessions within three weeks with the patient and the caregiver. Music therapy interventions included live music, singing and playing instruments, song choice, lyric analysis, and reminiscence. The interviews were provided at the end of the week with the caregiver and the nurse separately which aimed to investigate the changes of patient’s quality of life after participating in music therapy services. The results of this were presented in the qualitative case analysis and inductive analysis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of music therapy to enhance quality of life in a patient with cancer in palliative care. The experimental case study was utilized in this study to collect data through a series of observation and interviews. In this study, there were three participants who were the patient, the caregiver, and the nurse. The initial assessment was provided before the first music therapy session phase. The music therapy sessions consisted of five sessions within three weeks with the patient and the caregiver. Music therapy interventions included live music, singing and playing instruments, song choice, lyric analysis, and reminiscence. The interviews were provided at the end of the week with the caregiver and the nurse separately which aimed to investigate the changes of patient’s quality of life after participating in music therapy services.

     The results of this were presented in the qualitative case analysis and inductive analysis. The results of this study determined that the patient’s quality of life was enhanced especially in emotion, environment, physical comfort, and all satisfaction domains. In addition, music therapy also helped the caregiver to accept the situation and use music to reminisce the patient. Meanwhile, the medical staff also benefited the use of music therapy in hospital.

References

Aasgaard, T. (1999). Music therapy as milieu in the hospital and paediatric oncology ward. In D. Aldridge (Ed.). Music therapy in palliative care new voices. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

American Music Therapy Association. (2016). What is music therapy? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://www.musictherapy.org/about/musictherapy/.

Australian Music Therapy Association. (2012). What is music therapy? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://www.austmta.org.au/content/what-music-therapy.

Bureau of Policy and Strategy. (2011). Strategic frame work: National health promotion and disease prevention in 2011-2015. Bureau of Policy and Strategy, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand. Bangkok: Samcharoen Phanich.

Bureau of Policy and Strategy. (2015). Strategy indicator and guideline of data collection fiscal year 2015. Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://www.kaset-hospital.org/downloads/doc/ kpi_update_30sep2014.pdf

Bureau of Policy and Strategy. (2016). Public health statistics A.D.2016, Retrieved January 10, 2018, from http://bps.moph.go.th/new_bps/sites/default/files/health_strategy2559.pdf

Canadian Association for Music Therapy. (2016). What is music therapy? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://www.musictherapy.ca/about-camt-music-therapy/about-music-therapy/.

Clements-Cortés, A. (2004). The use of music in facilitating emotional expression in the terminally ill. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 21(4), 255-260.

Choi, Y. K. (2010). The effect of music and progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety, fatigue, and quality of life in family caregivers of hospice patients. Journal of Music Therapy, 47(1), 53-69.

Cohen, S. R. (2002). What determines the quality of life of terminally ill cancer patients from their own perspective? Journal of Palliative Care, 18(1), 48.

Cresswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Dimaio, L. (2010). Music therapy entrainment: A humanistic music therapist’s perspective of using music therapy entrainment with hospice experiencing pain. Music Therapy Perspectives, 28, 106-115.

Gfeller, K. E., & Davis, W. B. (2008). The music therapy treatment process. In W. B. Davis, K. E. Gfeller, & M. H. Thaut (Eds.). An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice. (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.

Groen, K. M. (2007). Pain assessment and management in end of life care: A survey of assessment and treatment practices of hospice music therapy and nursing professionals. Journal of Music Therapy, 44(2), 90-112.

Hilliard, R. E. (2001). The use of music therapy in meeting the multidimensional needs of hospice patients and families. Journal of Palliative Care, 17(3), 161.

Hilliard, R. E. (2002). The effects of music therapy on quality of life and length of life of hospice patients diagnosed with terminal cancer (Dissertation). Tallahassee, FL: School of Music, Florida State University.

Hilliard, R. E. (2003). The effects of music therapy on the quality and length of life of people diagnosed with terminal cancer. Journal of Music Therapy, 40(2), 113-137.

Hilliard, R. E. (2005). Hospice and palliative care music therapy: A guide to program development and clinical care. Cherry Hill, NJ: Jeffrey Books.

Hilliard, R. E. (2005a). Enhancing quality of life for people diagnosed with a terminal illness. In C. Dileo, & J. V. Loewy (Eds.) Music therapy at the end of life. Cherry Hill, NJ: Jeffrey Books.

Horne-Thompson, A., & Grocke, D. (2008). The effect of music therapy on anxiety in patients who are terminally ill. Journal of Palliative Care Medicine. 11(4), 582-590.

Krout, R. E. (2001). The effects of single-session music therapy interventions on the observed and self-reported levels of pain control, physical comfort, and relaxation of hospice patients. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 18(6), 383-390.

Krout, R. E. (2003). Music therapy with imminently dying hospice patients and their families: Facilitating release near the time of death. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 20(2), 129-134.

Lane, D. (1992). Music therapy: A gift beyond measure. Oncology Nursing Forum, 19(6), 863-867 Magill, L. (2001). The use of music therapy to address the suffering in advanced cancer pain. Journal of Palliative Care, 17(3), 167-172.

Magill, L. (2009). The meaning of the music: The role of music in palliative care music therapy as perceived by bereaved caregivers of advanced cancer patients. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, 26(1), 33-39.

Melin-Johansson, C., Ödling, G., Axelsson, B., & Danielson, E. (2008). The meaning of quality of life: Narrations by patients with incurable cancer in palliative home care. Palliative and Supportive Care, 2008(6), 231-238.

Melzack, R. & Wall, P. D. (1965). Pain mechanisms: A new theory. American Association for the Advancement of Science, 150(3699), 971-9. doi: 10.1126/science.150.3699.971

Michel, D. E., & Pinson, J. (2005). Music therapy in principle and practice. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas Publisher.

Miller, D. M., & O’Callaghan, C. (2010). Cancer care, In Hanson-Abromeit, D., & Colwell, C. M. (Eds.), Effective clinical practice in music therapy: Medical music therapy for adults in hospital settings. Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.

National Consensus Project (2016) What Is Palliative Care? Retrieved February 4, 2016, from http://www.nationalconsensusproject.org/DisplayPage.aspx?Title=What%20Is%20 Palliative%20Care?

Nilmanat, K., Chailungka, P., Phungrassami, T., Promnoi, C., Tulathamkit, K., Noo-urai, P., & Phattaranavig, S. (2010). Living with suffering as voiced by Thai patients with terminal advanced cancer. International Journal of Palliative Nursing, 16(8), 393-399.

O’Callaghan, C. (1996). Pain, music creativity, and music therapy in palliative care. American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Care, 13(2), 43-49.

O’Callaghan, C. C. (1997). Therapeutic opportunities associated with the music when using song writing in palliative care. Music Therapy Perspectives, 15, 32-38.

O’Callaghan, C., & Magill, L. (2009). Effect of music therapy on oncologic staff bystanders: A substantive grounded theory. Palliative and Supportive Care, 2009(7), 219-228.

Sausville, E. A., Longo, D. L. (2015). Principles of cancer treatment. In D. Kasper, A. Fauci, S. Hauser, D. Longo, J. Jameson, & J. Loscalzo (Eds), Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine, 19e. Retrieved April 01, 2016 from http://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx? bookid=1130&Sectionid=71748332.

Stegemöller, E. L. (2014). Exploring a neuroplasticity model of music therapy. Journal of Music Therapy, 51(3), 211-227.

Thomas, D.R. (2006). A general inductive approach for analyzing qualitative evaluation data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237-246.

Walker, J., & Adamek, M. (2008). Music therapy in hospice and palliative care. In W. B. Davis, K. E. Gfeller, & M. H. Thaut (Eds.). An introduction to music therapy: Theory and practice. (3rd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Music Therapy Association.

Weber, S. (1999). Music a means of comfort. In D. Aldridge (Ed.). Music therapy in palliative care new voices. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Wheeler, B. L. (Ed.)(2005). Music therapy research (2nd ed.). Gilsum, NH: Barcelona Publishers.

Wlodarczyk, N. (2007). The effect of music therapy on the spirituality of persons in an in-patient hospice unit as measured by self-report. Journal of Music Therapy, 44(2), 113-12.

World Federation of Music Therapy. (2011). What is music therapy? Retrieved March 28, 2017, from http://www.musictherapyworld.net/WFMT/About_WFMT.html.

World Health Organization. (2016). WHO definition of palliative care. Retrieved, March 24, 2016, from http://www.who.int/cancer/palliative/definition/en/.

Downloads

Published

2020-01-24

How to Cite

Sangaroon, T., Chiengchana, N., & Buranapapuk, A. (2020). Music Therapy to Enhance Quality of Life in a Patient with Cancer in Palliative Care: A Case Study. Journal Of Ratchasuda Institute for Research and Development of Persons With Disabilities, 15(2), 4–21. Retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/RSjournal/article/view/236791

Issue

Section

Research Articles