Massage, Music, and Art Therapy in Hospice: Results of a National Survey

The effects of art therapy on quality of life and psychosomatic symptoms in adults with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cancer-related psychological and physical disorders can mean stressful and painful experiences for patients. Art therapy, a form of complementary and alternative medicine, is an increasingly popular way to decrease emotional stress, alleviate somatic symptoms, and improve quality of life in patients with cancer. However, current systematic reviews have not explored the beneficial effects of art therapy. Moreover, there have been inconsistent findings on the effect of this therapy, and there is insufficient evidence to confirm the effects in adults with cancer. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of art therapy in improving quality of life and psychosomatic symptoms in adults with cancer.

METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis included adults with all kinds of cancer. Six English-language and three large Chinese-language databases were comprehensively searched for relevant studies. Gray literature and references were also checked. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool.

RESULTS

Eight eligible randomized controlled trials conducted in four countries were included. Art therapy improved overall quality of life, but had no significant effect on psychological health or physical health sub-dimensions in women with cancer. Moreover, art therapy alleviated anxiety and depression, but had only a tendency toward an effect on somatic symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate-quality evidence shows that art therapy is beneficial for women with cancer in terms of improving the overall quality of life and alleviating emotional symptoms (anxiety and depression). However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to determine the efficacy of this therapy on somatic symptoms.

End-of-Life Care and the Role of Occupational Therapy

This AOTA Position Statement describes the role of occupational therapy practitioners in providing services to clients who are living with terminal conditions and who are at the end of life, as well as their role in providing services and support to caregivers.

Caregiver delivered massage therapy options in inpatient palliative care: A mixed methods exploratory study

BACKGROUND

and purpose: Massage therapy can benefit palliative care inpatients and this intervention could be provided by trained caregivers in this setting. This study aimed to determine the feasibility and acceptance of caregiver massage therapy, to explore patients' and caregivers' experience of massage therapy, and examine staff perspectives about caregiver massage therapy in palliative care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a mixed methods, convergent, study design. Inpatient palliative care patients were offered massage provided by a caregiver, following training. Caregiver massage therapy was provided up to five days post training. Patients and caregivers completed self-report measures of satisfaction for the five-day intervention, while caregivers rated massage-related burden and confidence. Healthcare professionals working in inpatient palliative care participated in a focus group, during which enablers and barriers to caregiver massage therapy were explored.

RESULTS

Over the three-month recruitment period, 62 participants were available for recruitment. Of these, 23 (37%) consented to caregiver massage. Caregiver burden was highest on day 2 (mean 2.9/5) while confidence was highest on day 4 (mean 4.1/5). Caregivers and patients were satisfied with the massage training sessions, and patients reported perceptions of comfort during subsequent sessions. Staff-identified enablers to caregiver massage therapy included patient symptom improvement and caregiver empowerment but considered caregiver massage potentially burdensome for caregivers.

CONCLUSION

Caregiver massage training is feasible, with a modest acceptance within an inpatient palliative care unit. Enablers of massage therapy in inpatient palliative care were caregiver empowerment, but this model was perceived as potentially burdensome for caregivers by healthcare professionals.

Current Status of Complementary Therapies Provided by Hospice Palliative Care in South Korea

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigatecomplementary therapiesprovided at hospice palliative care facilities in South Koreaas designated by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

Methods

The survey was conducted via e-mail from September 2 to September 23, 2020, with responsesfrom 109 therapists and 59 managers from 55 different hospice care facilities.

Results

Hospices provided an average of 3.67 different types of therapies, ranging from 1 to 7 different types. The most common types of therapies were horticultural therapy (81.4%), music therapy (79.7%), art therapy (76.3%), and aromatherapy (57.6%). The average frequency of sessions was once a week, the median duration was 60 minutes. Most therapists (96.3%) had qualifications, but the certification-issuing organizations and training intensiveness varied greatly. None of the therapists were employed on a full-time basis, and their average monthly income was KRW 270,000. Therapists and managers gave average scores of 8.90 and 8.38 out of 10, respectively, regarding the positive impact of complementary therapies on patients.

Conclusion

In order for patients and their families to benefit from complementary therapiesat hospice care facilities, in addition tobetter terms of employment for therapists, evidence-based guidelines for different types of therapies are needed so that therapy sessions can be conducted according to the theoretical underpinnings and characteristics of the type of therapy. It is expected that the results of this study will be used for policy-making in support of therapy as an essential hospice service.

Art Therapy in a Palliative Care Unit: Symptom Relief and Perceived Helpfulness in Patients and Their Relatives

CONTEXT

Creative arts therapies aim to expand conventional palliative care interventions by making clinical care more holistic.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the benefits of an art therapy intervention in a tertiary hospital palliative care unit, directly in adult cancer inpatients and indirectly in their relatives.

METHODS

We evaluated the intensity of pain, anxiety, depression, and well-being using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale before and after the first, third, and fifth art therapy sessions. After the third and fifth sessions, perceived helpfulness was assessed via a questionnaire developed by the palliative care team, combining open-ended questions and a checklist. We categorized the narrative data into three predetermined types: generally helpful (some positive experience), helpfulness related to a dyadic relationship (patient-art therapist), and helpfulness related to a triadic relationship (patient-image-art therapist).

RESULTS

We observed a significant reduction in anxiety, depression, and pain as well as a significant increase in well-being at each of the time points evaluated. Ninety-eight percent of the patients considered the art therapy helpful, which could be categorized as generally helpful in 54.8%, related to a triadic relationship in 32.9%, and to a dyadic relationship in 12.3%. Relatives gave similar opinions regarding the effects on patients and, in addition, reported an indirect helpful effect for themselves. The most frequently selected experiences from the checklist were feeling calm, being entertained, and expressing and communicating emotions.

CONCLUSION

This art therapy intervention was beneficial in reducing symptom intensity. Almost all the participants directly or indirectly involved in the creative art process considered it helpful. They reported a wide variety of sensory, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual experiences.

Impact of Massage Therapy on the Quality of Life of Hospice Patients and Their Caregivers: A Pilot Study

Evidence for massage therapy (MT) in hospice patients remains limited. We conducted a prospective pilot study on MTs impact on quality of life of hospice patients and caregivers. Patient-caregiver dyads were enrolled if patients scored ≥5 on pain, depression, anxiety, or well-being using the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System Revised (ESAS-r). The patient received MT weekly for up to 3 massages with assessments completed at baseline, after each massage, and 1 week after the final massage for patients and at baseline and 1 week after final massage for caregivers. A satisfaction survey was completed at study completion. A pro-rated area under the curve (AUC) was utilized to assess the primary endpoints of change in ESAS-r for patient ratings of pain, depression and anxiety as well as the Linear Analogue Self-Assessment (LASA). Median difference scores (end of study value)-(baseline value) for each participant and caregiver were calculated. Of 27 patients and caregivers enrolled, 25 patients received MT. Fifteen patients completed all 3 MT sessions and were given the final symptom assessment and satisfaction survey and their caregivers completed final assessments. The proportion of patients considered success (AUC > baseline) in the primary endpoints were the following: pain 40.9%, depression 40.9%, anxiety 54.5%, LASA 54.5%. Median difference scores were largely zero indicating no significant temporal change in symptoms. Patients were highly satisfied with MT. This pilot study indicated that MT was a feasible and well-received intervention in our population of patients with inadequately controlled symptoms.

Traversing temporalities at end-of-life: Mobilizing narratives with imagination and aesthetic sensibilities

We bring into focus the role of the imagination and aesthetics in narrative sensemaking, particularly as it informs end-of-life care, in this engaged and ethnographically-inspired research project. To begin, we detail a brief history of hospice and situate our work amid literature on storytelling and health communication. We then introduce readers to Grace Hospice’s Creatively-Inspired Experiences (CIEs), opportunities for patients and their family members to engage in artful interactions, which was integrated within volunteer services as means of offering care beyond basic measures for comfort and companionship. Motivated by curiosities about how storytelling arises and functions in contexts often characterized as the end, this project illustrates the capacity of storytelling to traverse the temporalities of life stories by transcending the challenges of relational connection and narrative continuation in hospice contexts. Specifically, findings suggest that narrative imagination and aesthetic sensibilities act as mobilizing resources, enabling stories to affect relationships by transcending chasms, nurturing mindfulness and presence, and cultivating legacies and tomorrows.

Integrating Traditional and Complementary Medicine Recommendations into Clinical Practice Guidelines for People with Diabetes in Need of Palliative and End-of-Life Care: A Scoping Review

Objectives: This study was conducted before an evidence review on Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) to update the clinical practice guidelines (CPGs): "Deciding palliative and end-of-life (P/EoL) care for people with diabetes." The aim was to frame the PICO (population/problems, interventions/comparisons, and outcomes), ascertain their importance, and identify other modifying factors for grading recommendations. Design: A systematic scoping review mapped information about diabetes P/EoL problems and outcomes, TCM use, provision, benefits and risks, and stakeholder preferences and values. Thirteen electronic databases were searched in 2017/18 until no new information was identified. Relevant data were extracted, rated for quality, directness, and relevance, and synthesized using triangulation methods. Excluded was diabetes prevention or treatment, as this is not an important P/EoL problem. Results: Of the 228 included articles, except for diabetes P/EoL problems, insufficient direct evidence led to data being extrapolated from either adults with diabetes or any P/EoL diagnosis. The findings affirmed that caring for people with diabetes in need of P/EoL care is complex due to multiple fluctuating needs that are influenced by the P/EoL trajectories (stable, unstable, deteriorating, terminal, or bereaved), multimorbidity, and difficult-to-manage chronic and acute problems. The only problem specific to diabetes P/EoL care, was unstable glycemia. Over 50 TCM interventions commonly used by patients and/or provided by services were identified, of which, many might simultaneously address multiple problems and 18 had been appraised in systematic reviews. Physical and psychologic symptom reliefs were most often evaluated; however, these were only one aspect of a "good death." Other important outcomes were the quality and location of care, personal agency, relationships, preparations for the dying process, spirituality, and affirmation of the whole person. Other important modifying factors included opportunity costs, affordability, availability, preferences, cultural appropriateness, and alignment with beliefs about the meaning of illness and death. Conclusions: There is a role for TCM in the multidisciplinary holistic P/EoL care of people with diabetes. Due to the paucity of evidence specific to this population, the generalizability of some of these results is broader and the updated CPG will also need to consider indirect evidence from other patient groups. Along with recommendations about indications for TCM use, the CGP should provide guidance on ceasing unnecessary interventions, reducing polypharmacy and managing unstable glycemia is required. Before ceasing a TCM, a broader risk-benefit analysis is recommended, as unlike many conventional therapies, there may be multiple benefits warranting its continuation.

A Retrospective Thematic Analysis of Patient, Family, and Staff Creative Art Tiles Developed on a Tertiary Palliative Care Unit

OBJECTIVES

Clinical use of the creative arts in palliative care is well established, yet there are few evaluation studies of these programs.

METHODS

In this first phase of a 3-phase evaluation of a creative arts program entitled "Tile Tales," we conducted a retrospective thematic analysis of 85 painted tiles and accompanying stories that were publically displayed on a tertiary palliative care unit. Each story was independently coded, using content analysis. Themes were derived through consensus, using the constant comparative method.

RESULTS

Tiles were created by staff (n = 36, 42%), family (n = 32, 38%), patients (n = 9, 11%), or patients and family (n = 8, 9%). Six major themes emerged from the artwork: "Spirituality," "Relationships," "Journey," "Story," "Symbolism," and "Paradox."

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

These results illustrate how the creative arts can support the expression of diverse palliative care experiences, for patients, their families and palliative care staff, when words alone may not suffice.

Effects of music therapy on anxiety and physiologic parameters in angiography: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Given the anxiety patients experience during angiography, evidence supporting the efficacy of music therapy during these angiographic procedures is potentially of clinical value.

Objective

To analyze the existing literature forthe use of music therapy during cerebral, coronary, and peripheral angiography to determine whether it improves patient anxiety levels, heart rate, and blood pressure during the procedure.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, and Scopus were searched to identify studies of interest. Inclusion criteria included studies reporting using music therapy in either cerebral, coronary, or peripheral angiography. Studies focused on a pediatric population; animal studies and case reports were excluded. Participant demographics, interventions, and outcomes were collected by two study authors. Bias and study quality of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Separate meta-analyses of the RCTs were performed to compare State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), heart rate (HR), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) in the music intervention group versus control group. Heterogeneity was determined by calculating I2 values, and a random-effects model was used when heterogeneity exceeded 50%.

Results

The preprocedure to postprocedure improvement in STAI was significantly greater in the experimental group than the control group (p=0.004), while the decrease in HR, SBP, and DBP was not significant.

Conclusions

Recorded music and/or music therapy in angiography significantly decreases patients’ anxiety levels, while it has little to no effect on HR and BP. This meta-analysis is limited by the relatively few RCTs published on this subject.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018099103

Physician Guide to Home Hospice Visits

The field of hospice and palliative medicine continues to grow, attracting recent graduates as well as more senior physicians looking for career changes. Unfortunately, there is little, if any, training in most residencies regarding the home hospice visit, and there are not enough fellowship-trained physicians to fill the available positions. A systematic review of the literature was made for the years 2000 to 2016 to identify articles which provided practical, clinical guidelines for the physician home hospice visit. No single article provided this needed information. Thus, the authors formulated these guidelines based on the literature and their experiences to aid the home hospice physician—as well as other providers who may work with the physician—to understand the physician’s role in the home hospice visit.

Work environment facilitators to the availability of complementary and alternative therapies in perinatal hospices

Increasingly, patients and clinicians are considering palliative care interventions during pregnancy for the maternal-fetal dyad, when a life-limiting diagnosis is confirmed. Nurses are at the forefront of providing hospice and palliative care that includes planning interventions for infants nearing the end of life. However, little is known about the work environment facilitators to the availability of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Using a national database of perinatal hospice and palliative care providers, we described the types of CAM therapies available and explored the influence of the nurse work environment on the availability of CAM therapies with multivariate regression analysis. This study showed that having an education environment where clinicians are trained, along with a highly educated RN support staff, and a BSN educated staff were critical to the availability of CAM therapies. The clinical implications for hospice and palliative nurses caring for infants and their families were discussed.