The Effect of Music Therapy vs Midazolam in Reducing Adult Perioperative Anxiety: An Evidence-Based Educational Module

Title: The Effect of Music Therapy vs Midazolam in Reducing Adult Perioperative Anxiety: An Evidence-Based Educational Module Impact Statement: In the adult perioperative patient, anxiety is a prevalent factor. Many clinicians turn to pharmacological methods for reducing anxiety. Music therapy has been recognized as a nonpharmacological practice that successfully reduces anxiety which can simply implemented into clinical care.2 Background: Anxiety is experienced by most individuals in the perioperative setting, which causes the body to develop a stressful state.1 Anxiety can lead to negative effects on the patients surgical and anesthetic management. The prevalence of perioperative anxiety challenges healthcare providers to find an alternative approach to reduce anxiety for those patients who cannot be treated with the traditional pharmacological approach of using midazolam. Method: A literature review was conducted which examined the use of music therapy versus midazolam for reducing anxiety in the adult perioperative patient. An educational module was developed and presented to an anesthesia group in which participants completed a pre- and post- assessment. The educational intervention was distributed anonymously using an online survey platform for data collection. Results: Researchers found that an educational module is a successful method for implementing clinical change. The results concluded that participants would be likely to implement music therapy into practice exhibiting that participants' knowledge and perspectives markedly increased. Discussion: Data from the survey demonstrated that anesthesia providers improved their knowledge about music therapy as a nonpharmacological method to reduce anxiety. A few limitations were identified: small sample size, online delivery, and access to the survey. Conclusion: Implementing an educational intervention is a proven method of dispersing knowledge. This educational intervention has indicated positive outcomes, demonstrating that an educational module can significantly enhance the knowledge and attitudes of participants, thereby promoting change.