Wing Hong Poon

The Experience of Music Therapy in the Hospice: a Qualitative Study Wing Hong Poon

Music therapy is often used as a complementary therapy in the hospice to allow for a more holistic care. Despite clinical observations on the effectiveness of music therapy, there has been a paucity of formal research in the Asian setting concerning the experience of patients using music therapy. Hence, this research study aimed to uncover terminally ill patients' experiences of music therapy in a Singapore in-patient hospice. As music therapy is growing in its popularity as a form of complementary therapy used in the hospice, it is essential to understand the therapeutic modality from the patient's perspective. A qualitative approached was used to explore the human experience with music therapy. Data was analysed using Burnard's thematic analysis method. Four themes that have emerged from the study - Mirror of the inner feelings, Bridge of connection, Music as a therapeutic medium and Barriers to music therapy.