The impact of live versus recorded classical music on friends and family of patients in an ambulatory surgical waiting room: a randomized trial

Effective healthcare involves supporting not only patients but also their friends and family members. Those awaiting loved ones in ambulatory surgical waiting rooms often experience anxiety. Music can reduce anxiety, but to our knowledge, no studies have directly compared the effects of live versus recorded classical music on anxiety among friends and family members of patients in this setting. In a randomized trial at a 451-bed community hospital, 120 adult friends and family members of patients were assigned to either a 45-minute live violin performance (n = 60) or a recording of the same repertoire (n = 60). State anxiety was measured before and after the intervention using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-State (STAI-S). Baseline STAI-S scores were similar between groups. Anxiety decreased modestly after both interventions; and reached significance after recorded music: live music (Δ = −0.40 [95% CI −1.95 to 1.15], d = 0.07, p = 0.58) and recorded music (Δ = −1.00 [95% CI −2.01 to 0.01], d = 0.26, p = 0.047). The between-group difference (Δ = 0.60 [95% CI −1.25 to 2.45]) was not significant (p = 0.52). Both live and recorded classical music produced modest reductions in anxiety among friends and family of patients; only the recorded group showed a statistically significant decrease. There was no significant difference between the live and recorded interventions. Recorded music may offer a practical, low-cost approach to supporting the well-being of friends and family members in ambulatory surgical waiting rooms.