Review of music therapy for end-of-life care

This Cochrane review examined the effects of music therapy on end-of-life care.

First, the details.

• 5 studies in 175 participants were included in the review.

And, the results.

• A limited number of studies suggest music therapy might make a positive contribution to quality of life of people in end-of-life care.
• There was a lack of strong evidence supporting the effect of music therapy on pain or anxiety based on 2 small studies.
• There were insufficient data to examine the effect of music therapy on other physical, psychological, or social outcomes.

The bottom line?

The authors concluded, there’s a need for more and better-designed studies in this field.

For balance, others report that it’s beneficial to the patients and even cost-effective.

1/22/10 20:59 JR