patients before surgery have
compared music to oral seda-
tives, which aren't often used
in pre-operative settings, the
Penn Medicine study was the
first to compare music with
an IV form of a sedative med-
ication.
In general, says Dr. Graff,
music lightens up the emo-
tional and pleasure centers in
brains. It also sends out pro-
jections to the hypothalamus,
where it affects heart rate,
blood pressure and breathing.
This explains why some songs trigger a variety of emotions — good
feelings, bad feelings, nostalgia, happiness, sadness. "A greater under-
standing of what music does to our bodies can help relax patients in
the moments before they undergo a bedside procedure such as nerve
bock or before they're wheeled back for the surgery," she says.
Dr. Graff believes the benefits of music are underutilized in health-
care settings, especially now that patients have near limitless access
to catalogues of songs on media players and smartphones. She
encourages you to offer disposable headphones to patients in pre-op
and invest in media players or music apps on media devices, so
patients can listen to music in the stressful time before surgery (see
"Help Patients Tune in to Tune Out" on p. 8).
3. Hi-tech engagement
A website geared for patients who are scheduled for surgery is about
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 9 1
• DULY NOTED Care Cards that follow patients from pre-op to PACU
and include any concerns they have about the procedure go a long way
to letting them know that the staff is aware of their issues, and pre-
vents them from having to repeat them every time they're handed off
to the next provider.
Bon
Secours
Surgery
Center
