“There is a significant amount of research showing that patient outcomes, quality of care, and cost of care delivery are all optimized when disciplines work together toward a shared goal that focuses on the patient.”
– Heidi Sanborn, RN, MSN, CCRN, Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University College of Nursing and Healthcare Innovation.
At JB Music Therapy, we firmly believe that collaboration is essential for growth and maximizing the quality of care we provide.
Partnering with organizations, care teams, and other allied health professionals enables us to witness firsthand the improved outcomes that result from a collaborative approach to care. Each partnership brings unique expertise and perspectives, creating a comprehensive strategy that addresses all aspects of a client’s well-being.
By working closely together, we can meet not only the physical needs of clients but also their emotional, cognitive, and social health. This integrated approach allows us to expand therapy beyond traditional boundaries, enhancing its impact.
For example, pairing music therapy with physiotherapy makes exercises more engaging and encourages active participation. Collaborating with spiritual care providers allows music therapy to help clients explore meaning, faith, and comfort, offering emotional peace and connection in difficult times. Similarly, when partnering with wellness coordinators, music therapy addresses mental health and stress management more holistically. Together, these collaborations ensure that music therapy remains a powerful tool in promoting whole-person care.
Enhancing Patient-Centered Care through Collaborations
Medical Professionals and Allied Health: When music therapists collaborate with physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, nurses or spiritual care providers, each session is enriched. These partnerships create opportunities for customized care tailored to the patient’s unique needs. Cross-disciplinary interactions encourage creative approaches that improve participation, engagement, and overall satisfaction with the healthcare experience.
Co-Treatment in Action: One inspiring example involved a young stroke survivor working with both a music therapist and a speech-language pathologist. Initially disengaged, the client responded positively to familiar songs, gradually finding motivation to participate in speech exercises. This co-treatment model highlights how music therapy adds an emotionally engaging element to speech rehabilitation, adding an emotionally engaging element to challenging tasks.
Interdisciplinary Music Therapy: A Collaborative Approach
- Music Therapy and Recreation Therapy: encourages social engagement, promoting connection and enhancing quality of life during extended hospital stays and complex recoveries.
- Music Therapy and Physiotherapy: the rhythmic structure of music supports physical exercises, fostering prolonged participation, improved coordination, and motivation.
- Music Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology: activities like singing and lining out (filling in the lyrics) aid vocal recovery, turning communication exercises into enjoyable, purposeful interactions.
- Music Therapy and Social Work: preferred music helps reduce stress and facilitates meaningful emotional connections between clients and their families, fostering a calming and therapeutic environment.
- Music Therapy and Spiritual Care: reflective music sessions foster open conversations about faith, comfort, and life purpose, promoting spiritual well-being in a compassionate setting.
- Music Therapy and Nursing: music therapy complements holistic nursing care by reducing anxiety, supporting pain management, and stabilizing blood pressure.
Building Organizational Partnerships for Broader Impact
Collaborations between music therapists and healthcare organizations have proven to be incredibly effective in enhancing patient outcomes. These partnerships, especially with organizations focused on mental health, long-term care, and patient rehabilitation, enable music therapy to become an integral part of routine care. This integration ensures that clients benefit from music therapy during some of the most challenging phases of their healthcare journey.
Healthcare leaders and educators who understand the consistent benefits of music therapy are instrumental in expanding its reach. Their support promotes the integration of music therapy across diverse care settings, from intensive care units to outpatient recovery programs.
Music Therapy: Beyond a Standalone Service
Music therapy is more than a service—it’s a bridge connecting disciplines to foster whole-person care. By meeting patients where they are and supporting them through every phase of recovery, music therapy becomes a vital part of the healthcare journey. As we continue to build and strengthen partnerships with care teams across various disciplines, we see firsthand the transformative power of collaborative care in improving outcomes and enriching lives.