Palliative care plays an important role in intensive care units, where critically ill patients and their families often experience significant psychosocial, emotional and spiritual needs. One significant factor enhancing the quality of life for dying patients is being able to achieve a sense of relationship completion during end of life. Allied health professionals such as music therapists and medical social workers play an important part in managing the psychosocial aspects of the care of the dying patient. However, data on collaborative efforts between these professionals to support the sense of emotional and relational completion is under-reported. This paper presents two case reports illustrating the collaborative roles of a board-certified music therapist and medical social worker in facilitating this completion for imminently dying patients and their loved ones in critical care. Data was extracted from the institution’s electronic medical records. Consent for de-identification publication was sought.
Ng et al. (Sun,) studied this question.