Can Music Help Patients Better Respond to Palliative Care?

"There are few interactions in the medical world that aren't accompanied by at least some tension. When you're talking about palliative care, you're talking about a very particular set of challenging conditions for doctors and patients alike. Finding the right balance between addressing someone's underlying health issues and keeping them in the right frame of mind can be a challenge - and it's what's led one Austin hospital to add vinyl to its collection of medical tools."

"(That's an acronym for "Audio Therapy eXperience-Vinyl for Inpatients Near the end of Life.") It was created by Tyler Jorgensen, M.D., whose background includes work in both emergency medicine and palliative care settings.As Dr. Jorgensen told NPR, the idea for the program came about when he noticed that one of his patients became much more responsive when music was playing - specifically, Thin Lizzy's "The Boys Are Back in Town.""

"In 2023, Dr. Jorgensen gave an interview to Dell Medical School's website where he expounded at length on the science behind this approach - and why vinyl played such a significant role in it."Many forms of recorded music have been shown to lower pain scores, decrease anxiety and depression, and promote loved ones' well-being," he said. "However, we feel that vinyl records in particular - in contrast to more readily available electronic modalities of music - provide a more unique and multisensory e"

ATX-VINyL is a hospital program at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School that brings vinyl records into inpatient palliative care. The program uses music to improve patient responsiveness, mood, and communication near the end of life. Playing beloved songs can prompt greater honesty, vulnerability, and engagement from patients. Recorded music has been shown to lower pain scores, reduce anxiety and depression, and support loved ones' well-being. Vinyl records are emphasized for their perceived multisensory and unique listening experience compared with more readily available electronic music modalities. The program integrates vinyl-based audio therapy alongside clinical care.

Read at InsideHook