Music + Medicine
Bringing Music to the Bedside
Harnessing the Therapeutic Aspects of Music to Treat Loneliness
“Music has a remarkable ability to bring people together in mediating a powerful shared emotional experience. At no time has this been clearer to me than in my work with VBCs.”
—Luther Warren, violin, New England Conservatory
In collaboration with Project Music Heals Us and launched at Harvard Medical School, “Virtual Bedside Concerts” is a volunteer program that aims to bring live & interactive musical performances to hospitalized patients and nursing home residents via videoconference (Zoom) to combat isolation caused by COVID-19.
How it works
1) Join Our Network
VBC’s: we provide musicians, training, and scheduling.
Patient Sites: you identify patients & volunteers to bring tablets
Patient sites sign up here: https://airtable.com/shrBziPbj1yW6RCAM
Musician sign up here: https://airtable.com/shrBziPbj1yW6RCAM
email virtualbedsideconcerts@gmail.com with any questions
2) Identify a Patient
Healthcare workers identify patients who would like a virtual concert. Interactions can be:
1) On-call time slots (to pass around tablet to any patients who would like a concert - great for holidays)
2) Scheduled time (up to 1 month in advance) for specific patients and/or groups.
3) Request a Concert
Sign up for on-call or scheduled concerts via airtable. Concerts can be:
1) 1-on-1 (interactive personal concert)
2) Group (multiple patients via separate devices). Family are welcome to zoom in!
4) Match With a Musician
Airtable will match musicians with patients. We do our best to respect requests for specific musicians/music genres, but artists vary from classical, to pop/rock/jazz/holiday, and other forms of performance.
Performers are trained to interact with patients and are instructed to be flexible and inviting.
5) Connect Through a Concert
Volunteer (HCW or other) must bring tablet, set up, and be present. Regulatory/HIPAA compliance must be followed via each site’s rules and proper consent obtained (written or verbal ex) dropping an EMR note - site dependent).
Future Directions
Patient distress, loneliness, and anxiety are not specific to the pandemic. VBCs enable musical and personal connections between musicians and patients and enhance the patient-HCW relationship beyond clinical updates or medical treatments. As we continue to grow, we hope VBCs will continue to enhance patient well-being beyond the relaxation of social distancing mandates. Continuing to address HIPAA compliance, tablet availability and connectivity, and recruiting volunteers to coordinate organization and physically bring devices to patients may help sustain the program.