The Role of Music in Palliative Care: A Proposal for a Rural Based Initiative in Music Based Interventions

Study Overview
=================
Brief Summary
-----------------
Current practice in larger palliative care centers offer many supportive service modalities, which are often unavailable in the rural setting. Music Therapy by experienced registered Music Therapists is an example of such a modality. The current evidence continues to grow, identifying Music Therapy's benefits to help with symptom relief as well as to improve Quality of Life in many aspects of medicine, but especially in the context of palliative care. This proposal outlines an initiative to provide music-based interventions in a rural community palliative care unit where there is limited availability to a registered Music Therapist.

Detailed Description
-----------------
Study participants in the pilot phase will include patients admitted to the Aberdeen Hospital Palliative Care Unit. Patients excluded from participating would include those unwilling to participate for any reason. All patients will be invited to complete the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire - Revised (McGill QOL-R) upon admission to the unit. The Questionnaire will not be part of the permanent medical record and the participants will remain anonymous. Afterwards participants will be asked if they would like to listen to music during their stay in the hospital. Music will be selected according to their choices from an i-Tunes playlist. Participants will be invited to listen to music at their own discretion. Prior to discharge from the hospital or after 3 days all willing patients will be again invited to complete the McGill QOL-R questionnaire. The participants will remain anonymous, but will be identified as to whether they listened or did not listen to music during their hospitalization.

Official Title
-----------------
The Role of Music in Palliative Care: A Proposal for a Rural Based Initiative in Music Based Interventions

Conditions
-----------------
Symptom Relief, Improved Emotional Regulation, Improvement in Quality of Life, Preservation of Dignity, Existential Solace, Relief of Suffering, Emotional Regulation, Quality of Life, Dignity

Intervention / Treatment
-----------------
* Behavioral: preferred music


Participation Criteria
=================
Eligibility Criteria
-----------------
Inclusion Criteria: patients admitted to the Aberdeen Hospital Palliative Care Unit. Exclusion Criteria: those patients unwilling to participate for any reason
Sexes Eligible for Study
-----------------
All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
-----------------
Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
=================
How is the study designed?
-----------------

Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: listening to preferred music choices<br>All patients will be invited to complete the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire - Revised (McGill QOL-R) upon admission to the unit. The Questionnaire will not be part of the permanent medical record and the participants will remain anonymous. Afterwards participants will be asked if they would like to listen to music during their stay in the hospital. Music will be selected according to their choices from an i-Tunes playlist. Participants will be invited to listen to music at their own discretion. Prior to discharge from the hospital or after 3 days all willing participants will be again invited to complete the McGill QOL-R questionnaire. | Behavioral: preferred music<br>* listening to preferred music choices<br>|

What is the study measuring?
-----------------
Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quality of Life-using the McGill QOL-revised questionnaire |  | within 3 months of data collection |