A synopsis of the MusiQual feasibility study into the effectiveness of music therapy in palliative care inpatient settings – Jenny Kirkwood et al.

Volume 12 (2) 2020 – Article (published on 4 January 2020)

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A synopsis of the MusiQual feasibility study into the effectiveness of music therapy in palliative care inpatient settings

Jenny Kirkwood, Lisa Graham-Wisener, Tracey McConnell, Sam Porter & Joanne Reid

ABSTRACT

The research team involved in conducting the MusiQual study – carried out in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Queen’s University Belfast, Every Day Harmony Music Therapy, and Marie Curie Northern Ireland – aimed to ascertain the feasibility of carrying out a larger multicentre trial into the effectiveness of music therapy in improving the quality of life of palliative care inpatients. This synoptic paper summarises a number of publications which resulted from developing and implementing the MusiQual study. Those publications include the main findings paper (Porter et al., 2018) and a number of supplementary publications: a systematic review of the literature (McConnell et al., 2016a), a realist review of the literature (McConnell & Porter, 2016), a critical realist evaluation (Porter et al., 2017a), an outline of the theoretical model which resulted from the realist review of the literature (McConnell & Porter, 2016), and the treatment manual for music therapy in palliative care drafted for use in the potential multicentre trial and recently published (Kirkwood et al., 2019). The purpose of this synopsis is to consolidate information in one single, accessible place in order to advance knowledge in this area of work and support the evidence-informed practice of music therapists and others in this field.

KEYWORDS

music therapy, palliative care, end-of-life care, quality of life, theoretical model, critical realist approach

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES

Jenny Kirkwood completed her postgraduate diploma in music therapy with MusicSpace Italy in Bologna in 2007. She worked for Every Day Harmony Music Therapy from 2007, and as Music Therapy Manager from 2016 until December 2018. In 2015 she was awarded her MA in Music Therapy and in 2017 she trained as a Neurologic Music Therapist. Her clinical work to date has mainly been in learning and physical disability and paediatric palliative care. [kirkwoodj78@gmail.com] Lisa Graham-Wisener, Lecturer, School of Psychology, Queen’s University Belfast. [L.Graham-Wisener@qub.ac.uk] Tracey McConnell, Research Fellow, Queen’s University Belfast. [t.mcconnell@qub.ac.uk] Sam Porter, Research Lead, University of Bournemouth. [porters@bournemouth.ac.uk] Joanne Reid, Research Lead, Queen’s University Belfast. [j.reid@qub.ac.uk]