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Background: Evidence for music's beneficial effect on physical and mental disorders is mounting. Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience multiple uncomfortable symptoms, which may be alleviated using a music-based intervention. Few studies have examined the experience and the physical impact of patient-tailored live music offered by trained health musicians in an adult ICU. Aims: This study aimed to explore the experience of live music in adult patients admitted to an ICU, focusing on its effects on relaxation, stress, and pain. Study design: A pilot study with a convergent mixed-methods design. A total of 27 intensive care patients at a Danish University Hospital were offered patient-tailored live music by trained musicians in a single-session design. We performed participant observation and conducted patient interviews using an observational and semistructured interview guide. These data were supported by quantitative pre-post measurements of heart rate, respiration rate, mean arterial blood pressure, subjective pain experience, and heart-rate variability. The study was conducted from February 2020 to December 2021. Findings: Using a Ricoeur-inspired analysis of observations and interviews, we elicited four themes: ‘A break where you can swim away and relax’, ‘The living presence makes the play unique’, ‘Happy memories of the past and longing for home’, and ‘An intense and meaningful experience’. The quantitative analysis showed a significant decrease in heart rate (4.33 bpm, p < 0.02), respiration rate (2.93, p < 0.001), and blood pressure (3.30, p < 0.05) and a significant increase in heart-rate variation (−0.22, p < 0.01). Seven patients reported pain reduction after the music intervention, corresponding to a 24% reduction. Conclusion: Live music contributes to meaningful moments by bringing elements of everyday life into the ICU and may promote relaxation and reduce stress and pain. Relevance to clinical practice: Our findings indicate that live music is a nonpharmacological experience that creates meaningful moments for critically ill patients.
Thorn et al. (Wed,) studied this question.