Dr. Cowan is a research health scientist; Ms. Redding, Ms. Plaugher, Ms. Cole, Ms. Crum, Ms. Ambrosino, and Ms. Hodge are all members of the pain clinic nursing team; Ms. Ladd was a nurse manager in the pain clinic at the time the article was written; all at the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System in Gainesville, Florida. Dr. Garvan is a research associate professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Author disclosures The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.
Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs. Please review complete prescribing information for specific drugs or drug combinations—including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects—before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.
Conclusion
Research supporting the use of music therapy to increase patient comfort is widely accepted and practiced.7 Music therapy is readily available, low risk, inexpensive, and does not require intense training by staff. It may reduce the need for moderate sedation and improve the overall patient experience. During the study, the MRVAMC nursing staff gained a greater appreciation of evidence-based practice; staff are more engaged in QI, based on their personal involvement in research.
Because 87% of the music therapy participants reported that music was helpful, the MRVAMC pain clinic plans to implement music therapy as a standard of care during RFL procedures and all procedure appointments. Music therapy may help reduce pain and anxiety during painful procedures. The goal is to continually increase patient satisfaction and overall procedure experience through integration of evidence-based practice.
Acknowledgments The authors thank the study team who helped consent participants, perform the experiment, and gather and analyze data. They also acknowledge the pain clinic physicians, Dr. Egle Bavry and Dr. Heidi Goldstein, for their support throughout the study. Special thanks goes to Daniel Prince for his technical support.
