Karen Barrett and Aaron Colverson (UCSF) will be joining the AFHS Research Network to discuss ongoing efforts to integrate music and Age-Friendly care.
The UCSF Age-Friendly ED (AFED) is a Level 1 service accredited by the American College of Emergency Physicians, signifying the highest status as exemplary experience for older adult patients. Since 2024, the AFED has offered music listening as part of certain providers’ standard of care to improve patient outcomes and more generally, improve the environment of care. Recent qualitative evidence supports the understanding that patient-preferred music listening delivered via a music streaming app has helped to comfort and calm patients experiencing observed signs of anxiety, withdrawal, and distress. Additionally, a survey of UCSF ED-wide staff indicates broad support for the helpfulness of music in the ED care environment.
This presentation will touch on the past qualitative evidence, staff support, and current methodology to evaluate potential differences in music-enhanced vs. music-free care on improving the quality of the UCSF AFED care environment. Future goals of this work include evaluating impacts of the music intervention on patient pain and potential of the intervention to lessen hazards of acute care, including frequencies of physical restraint use, antipsychotic or benzodiazepine administration, falls, length of stay, and hospitalizations.