Skip to main content
Top
Published in: BMC Palliative Care 1/2020

01-12-2020 | Care | Study protocol

Complementary music therapy for cancer patients in at-home palliative care and their caregivers: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Authors: Inmaculada Valero-Cantero, Francisco Javier Martínez-Valero, Milagrosa Espinar-Toledo, Cristina Casals, Francisco Javier Barón-López, María Ángeles Vázquez-Sánchez

Published in: BMC Palliative Care | Issue 1/2020

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Patients with advanced cancer, receiving at-home palliative care, are subject to numerous symptoms that are changeable and often require attention, a stressful situation that also impacts on the family caregiver. It has been suggested that music therapy may benefit both the patient and the caregiver. We propose a study to analyse the efficacy and cost utility of a music intervention programme, applied as complementary therapy, for cancer patients in palliative care and for their at-home caregivers, compared to usual treatment.

Method

A randomised, double-blind, multicentre clinical trial will be performed in cancer patients in at-home palliative care and their family caregivers. The study population will include two samples of 40 patients and two samples of 41 caregivers. Participants will be randomly assigned either to the intervention group or to the control group. The intervention group will receive a seven-day programme including music sessions, while the control group will receive seven sessions of (spoken word) therapeutic education. In this study, the primary outcome measure is the assessment of patients’ symptoms, according to the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, and of the overload experienced by family caregivers, measured by the Caregiver Strain Index. The secondary outcomes considered will be the participants’ health-related quality of life, their satisfaction with the intervention, and an economic valuation.

Discussion

This study is expected to enhance our understanding of the efficacy and cost-utility of music therapy for cancer patients in palliative care and for their family caregivers. The results of this project are expected to be applicable and transferrable to usual clinical practice for patients in home palliative care and for their caregivers. The approach described can be incorporated as an additional therapeutic resource within comprehensive palliative care. To our knowledge, no previous high quality studies, based on a double-blind clinical trial, have been undertaken to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of music therapy. The cost-effectiveness of the project will provide information to support decision making, thereby improving the management of health resources and their use within the health system.

Trial registration

The COMTHECARE study is registered at Clinical Trials.gov, NCT04052074. Registered 9 August, 2019.
Literature
1.
go back to reference Ferlay J, Ervik M, Lam F, Colombet M, Mery L, Piñeros M, et al. Global Cancer observatory: Cancer today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2018. https://gco.iarc.fr/today, Accessed 20 May 2019. Ferlay J, Ervik M, Lam F, Colombet M, Mery L, Piñeros M, et al. Global Cancer observatory: Cancer today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer; 2018. https://​gco.​iarc.​fr/​today, Accessed 20 May 2019.
13.
18.
go back to reference Bulechek GM, Butcher HK, Dochterman JM, Wagner CM. Classification of nursing interventions NIC. 6a ed. Barcelona: Elsevier; 2014. Bulechek GM, Butcher HK, Dochterman JM, Wagner CM. Classification of nursing interventions NIC. 6a ed. Barcelona: Elsevier; 2014.
38.
go back to reference Romo R, Gifford L. A cost-benefit analysis of music therapy in a home hospice. Nurs Econ. 2007;25(6):353–8.PubMed Romo R, Gifford L. A cost-benefit analysis of music therapy in a home hospice. Nurs Econ. 2007;25(6):353–8.PubMed
44.
go back to reference Arrarás JI, Villafranca E, Arias F, Domínguez MA, Lainez N, Manterola A, et al. The EORTC quality of life questionnaire QLO-C30 (version 3.0). Validation study for spanish prostate cancer patients. Arch Esp Urol. 2008;61(8):949–54. Arrarás JI, Villafranca E, Arias F, Domínguez MA, Lainez N, Manterola A, et al. The EORTC quality of life questionnaire QLO-C30 (version 3.0). Validation study for spanish prostate cancer patients. Arch Esp Urol. 2008;61(8):949–54.
47.
go back to reference Drummond MJ, Sculpher MJ, Torrance GW, O’Brien BJ, Stoddart GL. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2005. Drummond MJ, Sculpher MJ, Torrance GW, O’Brien BJ, Stoddart GL. Methods for the economic evaluation of health care programmes. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2005.
50.
go back to reference López SR, Morqal MS. Validation of the caregiver strain index in Spanish population. Enfer Comun. 2005;1(1):12–7. López SR, Morqal MS. Validation of the caregiver strain index in Spanish population. Enfer Comun. 2005;1(1):12–7.
53.
go back to reference López Bastida J, Oliva J, Antoñanzas F, García-Altés A, Gisbert R, Mar J, Puig-Junoy J. A proposed guideline for economic evaluation of health technologies. Gac Sanit. 2010;24(2):154–70.CrossRefPubMed López Bastida J, Oliva J, Antoñanzas F, García-Altés A, Gisbert R, Mar J, Puig-Junoy J. A proposed guideline for economic evaluation of health technologies. Gac Sanit. 2010;24(2):154–70.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Complementary music therapy for cancer patients in at-home palliative care and their caregivers: protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors
Inmaculada Valero-Cantero
Francisco Javier Martínez-Valero
Milagrosa Espinar-Toledo
Cristina Casals
Francisco Javier Barón-López
María Ángeles Vázquez-Sánchez
Publication date
01-12-2020
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
Care
Published in
BMC Palliative Care / Issue 1/2020
Electronic ISSN: 1472-684X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12904-020-00570-9

Other articles of this Issue 1/2020

BMC Palliative Care 1/2020 Go to the issue