Effects of Art on Surgical Patients

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of art including ambient features such as music, interior design including visual art, and architectural features on health outcomes in surgical patients. Background: Healing environments can have a positive influence on many patients, but data focusing on art in surgical patients remain scarce. Methods: We conducted a systematic search following the PRISMA guidelines from January 2000 to October 2014 on art in surgical patients. For music interventions, we pooled controlled studies measuring health outcomes (eg, pain, anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate) in a meta-analysis. For other art forms (ambient and architectural features and interior design), we did a narrative review, also including nonsurgical patients, and looked for examples covering 3 countries. Results: Our search identified 1101 hits with 48 studies focusing on art in surgical patients: 47 studies on musical intervention and 1 on sunlight. The meta-analysis of these studies disclosed significant effects for music on pain after surgery, anxiety, systolic blood pressure, and heart rate, when compared with control groups without music. Effects of music were larger with self-selected music, and lower in surgical interventions performed under general anesthesia. Interior design features such as nature images and more spacious rooms, and architectural features providing more sunlight had positive effects on anxiety and postoperative pain. Conclusions: Self-selected music for surgical patients is an effective and low-cost intervention to enhance well being and possibly faster recovery. Although potentially very important, the impact of environmental features and spacious architecture with wide access to sunlight remains poorly explored in surgery. Further experimental research is needed to better assess the magnitude of the impact and cost effectiveness.

Music Affects Rodents: A Systematic Review of Experimental Research

“…The results of this systematic review indicate that music exposure can exert positive effects on rodents' neurological, behavioral, immunological, and physiological outcomes. These results are broadly consistent with studies in humans that found that music exposure can positively affect brain structure and chemistry (Johansson, 2011; Yeh et al, 2015), behavioral read-outs (Chan et al, 2011; Thoma et al, 2013; Baird and Samson, 2015; Hole et al, 2015; Vetter et al, 2015), immunological responses (Conrad et al, 2007; Fancourt et al, 2014), and physiological parameters (Bekiroglu et al, 2013; Hole et al, 2015).…”

“…They have been widely investigated in humans and can be linked to reduced depression levels in older people (Chan et al, 2011), to reduced disruptive behaviors and anxiety, and improved cognitive functioning in patients with dementia (Chang et al, 2015). A large number of studies have shown that music interventions alleviate anxiety and pain around medical procedures (Hole et al, 2015; Vetter et al, 2015) and surgical procedures (Kuhlmann et al, 2018). Music may have a beneficial effect on anxiety, systolic blood pressure, heart-rate, respiratory rate, quality of sleep, and pain in patients with coronary heart disease (Bradt et al, 2013), and might reduce blood-pressure in chronic hypertension (Kuhlmann et al, 2016).…”

Impact of Medical TV Shows on Preprocedural Fear of Surgical In-House Patients

“…It has been shown that music has a significant effect on the patient's pain, anxiety, and heart rate after surgery [2]. Whether this is true for other art forms has not been much investigated yet.…”

“…Hospitals are more and more designed not only as functional buildings in which all technical standards of patient care and treatment can easily be met, but as total healing environments [1]. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on the outcome of patients exposed to art has shown that music, interior design, and architecture had a positive effect [2]. …”

Efficacy, Treatment Characteristics, and Biopsychological Mechanisms of Music-Listening Interventions in Reducing Pain (MINTREP): Study Protocol of a Three-Armed Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

“…Therefore, some researchers have opted for pre-selected (i.e., researcher-selected) music pieces in the context of pain management such as slow, classical music, since this is believed to be perceived as relaxing and pleasant by most individuals [e.g., ( 78 )]. Others offered participants to choose pieces from a variety of musical genres in order to permit some degree of personal preference [e.g., ( 79 , 80 ), see also ( 81 )]. Overall, self-selected music has been shown to be superior to music chosen by researchers/clinical staff for pain alleviation in patients with chronic pain conditions ( 14 ) and to be superior to other distracting and emotionally engaging stimuli in experimental studies with healthy participants ( 24 ).…”