Annotated Bibliography: Music Therapy for Palliative Care Patients

This annotated bibliography compiles and analyzes five key research articles on the application of music therapy in palliative care settings. The articles, including integrative reviews and randomized controlled trials, explore the efficacy of music therapy in managing symptoms such as pain and anxiety in elderly patients. The studies, conducted in various settings, including hospitals and palliative care centers, investigate the physiological and psychological effects of music therapy, examining outcomes like pain intensity, relaxation levels, and autonomous nervous system responses. The research highlights the potential of music therapy as a complementary treatment, emphasizing its role in improving the quality of life for patients nearing the end of life. The bibliography also discusses the methodologies, authors, and relevance of each study, providing a comprehensive overview of the current evidence base supporting music therapy in palliative care.

Running head: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

1ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Article citation:
Bowers, T. A., & Wetsel, M. A. (2014). Utilization of music therapy in palliative and hospice care: an
integrative review. Journal of Hospice & Palliative Nursing, 16(4), 231-239.
Relevance of the article to the project:
 It discusses about the usefulness of music therapy as an adjunct therapy in the symptom
management for the elderly patient.
Authors: Teresa A. Bowers, MS, RN, FNP, is with School of Nursing, Clemson University, South
Carolina.
Margaret A. Wetsel, PhD, RN, CS, is associate professor, School of Nursing, Clemson University,
South Carolina.
Summary: This paper is an integrative review which discusses about the utilization of music therapy as
adjunct therapy in the symptom management of elderly patients in palliative care. This review has been
guided by the Roy adaptation model, it has been found that music provides as a positive stimulus for
improving the quality of life of the patients at the end of their life. Seventeen articles were chosen for this
review. Pain and anxiety was found to be the most common things that were found to be treated by the
music therapy. Most of the studies supported that music can reduce the intensity of the symptoms.

2ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Article citation:
Warth, M., Kessler, J., Koenig, J., Wormit, A. F., Hillecke, T. K., & Bardenheuer, H. J. (2014). Music
therapy to promote psychological and physiological relaxation in palliative care patients: protocol of a
randomized controlled trial. BMC palliative care, 13(1), 60.
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-684X-13-60
Relevance of the article to the project:
 The currency off the article makes this paper suitable for the study.
 The outcome measures helps to understand the effectiveness of music in addressing the
various indicators of the autonomous nervous system.
Authors: MW, MA, is a research associate at the School of Therapeutic Sciences, SRH University
Heidelberg.
JKe, MD, is a physician at the Centre of Pain Therapy and Palliative Care Medicine, Department of
Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Heidelberg.
JKo, Dr. sc. hum., is a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Psychology, The Ohio State
University.
AFW, Dr. sc. hum., is Professor of Clinical Music Therapy and vice dean of the School of Therapeutic
Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg.
AFW, Dr. sc. hum., is Professor of Clinical Music Therapy and vice dean of the School of Therapeutic
Sciences, SRH University Heidelberg.
HJB, MD, is a physician specialized in anaesthesiology, pain therapy, and palliative care medicine.
Summary:

3ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
This paper involves randomized control trial which evaluated the physiological and the psychological
response of the patients receiving palliative care to a stipulated music relaxation therapy. The outcome
measures included the pain intensity, subjective relaxation. Heart rate variability and the blood volume
pulse were also measured as they are the indicators of the functioning of the autonomous nervous system.

4ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Article citation: Korczak, D., Wastian, M., & Schneider, M. (2013). Music therapy in palliative
setting. GMS health technology assessment, 9. doi: 10.3205/hta000113
Relevance of the article to the project:
 Palliative care can provide support to the people, who are terminally ill.
 This paper analyses whether music therapy can support the dying process and preserves
the orientations of the personal values of the patient.
 The currency of the literature strengthens the report.
Authors: Dieter Korczak, Monika Wastian, Michael Schneider
Summary: five studies were included in the review. In these studies the efficacy o the music therapy was
determined. The results found in the studies were quite inconsistent, as the anxiety of the palliative care
patients were not found to be reduced by the pain therapy. The study emphasized on the fact that music
therapy can act as a medium for achieving relaxation and positive mood in comparison to the other
standard relaxation therapies.

5ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Article citation: Gutgsell, K. J., Schluchter, M., Margevicius, S., DeGolia, P. A., McLaughlin, B., Harris,
M., ... & Wiencek, C. (2013). Music therapy reduces pain in palliative care patients: a randomized
controlled trial. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 45(5), 822-831.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.05.008
Relevance of the article to the project:
 This paper has determined the efficiency of a single music therapy session for reducing
the pain in elderly patients receiving palliative care.
 Its level of evidence is quite high and its currency rate makes sit a suitable article for the
research.
Authors: Kathy Jo Gutsel, University Hospitals Case Medical centre, Mark D. Schuchter, PhD, CASE
School of Medicine, Seunghee Margevicius MA, MSN, Peter A. DeGolia, MD; Beth McLaughlin, MD.
Summary: This paper involves a randomized controlled trial where a single standard music therapy was
used an intervention for the palliative care elderly patients in lowering pain. Live music was used as an
intervention. 200 inpatients of the University Hospitals care medical centre were used to conduct the
study. The patients were sorted out in to two groups- Standard care alone and standard care with music
therapy. The level of pain in the patients was assessed with the help of the numerical rating scale as the
primary outcome. The intervention that has been incorporated is the autogenic relaxation guided by
music therapy and live music.