The SOM Foundation launches a music therapy program to alleviate dialysis patients at Juaneda Miramar Hospital
The SOM Foundation, initiated by healthcare professionals from Juaneda Hospitals, is implementing a music therapy program in the Nephrology and Dialysis Service of Juaneda Miramar Hospital, in collaboration with its professionals. The effectiveness of this program has been proven in alleviating pain during cannulation in hemodialysis patients.
This project is carried out by the leaders of SOM (Sanitaris Oberts al Món), Dr. Jaume Julià, a vascular surgeon, and Pep Ribas, Director of Nursing at Juaneda Miramar Hospital, in collaboration with Dr. Raúl García, coordinator of the Nephrology and Dialysis Service at Juaneda Miramar Hospital, and his team, especially the nursing professionals.
Cannulation (the insertion of a catheter into a peripheral vein using a needle) throughout dialysis sessions is a significant problem for patients due to the pain and anxiety it causes, even with pre-puncture analgesia. Some studies have already shown the effectiveness of music in improving pain and anxiety in this process.
"The purpose of this project," its promoters explain, "is to utilize the beneficial effect of music in relieving pain, anxiety, and stress caused by the cannulation process in patients undergoing hemodialysis." It is a single-center project at the Nephrology and Dialysis Service of Juaneda Miramar Hospital.
Music therapy consists of listening to selected musical works in the ten minutes prior to cannulation. All patients who wish to participate and do not have physical impediments (deafness) or feel incapable of using a tablet to mark pain relief (a test conducted during the process) will be included in the procedure.
This relief will be marked on a VAS (Visual Analogue Scale for pain, in English) at the end of the process to measure the degree of pain experienced and how music listening has improved it. The initial estimate is that music therapy can be carried out on a group of about 20 hemodialysis patients, according to its promoters.
The musical piece will be chosen from a collection that includes Bach's Suite No. 1 for Cello in G Major, Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, Vivaldi's Concerto for Mandolin in C Major, Bach's Prelude in C Major, Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1, the Romance from Vacarisses' Concertino, Beethoven's Moonlight Serenade, Arvo Part's Spiegel im Spiegel, Debussy's Clair de lune, Le Mepris's Canvion Camile, and Chopin's Nocturne No. 20.
The primary objective includes measurement using the mentioned VAS scale during cannulation. Secondary objectives include measuring pulse and blood pressure and the Beck Anxiety Scale. All this with the intention of assessing the reduction of pain and anxiety in patients during cannulation and improving the quality of care.
Arsenia González, Nursing Supervisor of Nephrology and Dialysis and responsible for cannulation, will provide patient support, including placing the headphones, connecting to the musical pieces, filling out the pain and anxiety scale, and taking blood pressure and pulse readings to assess their condition during the process.
This project generates various benefits. The first is to alleviate, as much as possible, the discomfort derived from the cannulation process of the arteriovenous fistula, through listening to a musical piece. Once it is verified that patients in this phase of dialysis benefit from music therapy, its use will be considered for expansion.
If the results are as expected, the project promoters believe it will be feasible to extrapolate the use of music therapy to vulnerable patient groups or those under stress situations. This could include patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, psychiatric patients, patients in the Preoperative Room, Prepartum Room, and in surgery under local or partial anesthesia.
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