Music therapy can help boost patient satisfaction scores and improve a patient's perception of pain, according to a new study conducted by Concord Township, Ohio-based Lake Health.
For the study, the health system enrolled 200 participants between the ages of 30 and 89 years old who were hospitalized at the system's West Medical Center in Willoughby and TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township. Participants were split into two groups, some receiving musical therapy and others not. Participants then responded to certain questions pulled from the HCAHPS survey.
While there was no statistical significance in overall hospital rating, patients who received 15 to 30 minutes of music therapy were more likely to report that they would recommend the hospital to others than participants who did not receive music therapy. Patients in the musical therapy cohort also reported a decreased perception of pain and an improved health-related quality of life.
"Clinical studies have demonstrated music is powerful medicine; however, little was previously known about the effects of music therapy on patient satisfaction," said Susan E. Mandel, PhD, a board-certified music therapist who served as the study's primary investigator. "Based on this study's findings, integrating music therapy with inpatient medical care may enable a health system to surpass expectations of care and improve the likelihood that patients will recommend the hospital to others."
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