All patients undergoing elective Caesarean section at KKH will be offered this music-based intervention as part of their birthing journey.
Healing Tunes: A Music-Based Intervention Programme For Elective Caesarean Section Patients
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) has launched Singapore’s first music-based intervention programme, Healing Tunes, to reduce anxiety and pain magnification in women undergoing elective Caesarean sections.
Most expectant mothers are given spinal anaesthesia during elective Caesarean sections. During the procedure, they would be awake, may feel anxious and think about possible negative pain experience. A KKH study shows that patients who had music-based intervention when undergoing elective Caesarean sections, anxiety scores were halved, and pain magnification (when an individual thinks of the pain in the worst possible outcome, and feels helpless or hopeless, making it difficult to cope) scores were reduced by 35 per cent. Since the implementation of Healing Tunes a month ago, nine out of 10 pregnant patients have taken up the music-based intervention programme.
How Is The Process Like
Photo Credits: KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH)
Patients are encouraged to choose their preferred tunes from a selection of songs that spans genres, to cater to their diverse preferences. They then create a playlist based on the selection and listen to them before, during and after surgery. Patients are also encouraged to include their preferred tunes, should they not be on the selection. The music is listened to via a mini speaker in the operating theatre.
Plans To Further Expand The Programme To More Patients
There are plans to gradually expand the music-based intervention programme to benefit more patients who require other types of surgeries. Healing Tunes is part of KKH’s continuous efforts to enhance the patient experience to ensure that it is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. It is led by a team of nurses and doctors across various disciplines and departments.
