Date of Award

7-22-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Music (MM)

Department

School of Music

First Advisor

Cindy Ropp

Abstract

Background: The implementation of the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey measured patients’ satisfaction with their hospital stays. The HCAHPS brought increased public access regarding hospital performance and changes to repayment polices. As such, patient satisfaction became a popular topic in hospitals within the last several years. Previous research demonstrated medical benefits for the use music therapy in hospitals, but research regarding its relationship to patient satisfaction was limited.

Hypotheses: The hypothesis of the current study was that patients who received music therapy services while in the hospital would have higher HCAHPS scores than those who did not receive music therapy. It was also hypothesized that patients receiving music therapy services would report a higher likelihood to recommend the hospital than patients who did not receive music therapy.

Methods: Participants were 349 patients who stayed overnight at one of three hospitals in a large Midwest health care system during the year 2018. All participants had completed the HCAHPS and 129 also participated in music therapy during their stay. Patient demographics, HCAHPS scores, and music therapy chart data was gathered and analyzed.

Results: Music therapy participants had significantly higher satisfaction regarding environmental quietness at night and cleanliness of their room and bathroom. No other significant differences in HCAHPS scores were found between the music therapy and non-music therapy group. Review of music therapy charts also revealed several key themes, including appreciation of music therapy services, frequent emphasis on relaxation during sessions, and enjoyment for music therapy.

Conclusion: Results revealed a potential relationship between music therapy and patient satisfaction. A standardized assessment tool that specifically addresses music therapy would provide more conclusive information and an opportunity for increased consistency in research on this topic.

Comments

Imported from ProQuest Iverson_ilstu_0092N_11557.pdf

DOI

http://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2020.Iverson.K

Page Count

72

Included in

Music Therapy Commons

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