| dc.description.abstract | Healthcare administrators’ perceptions of music therapy are largely unknown. This
study attempted to determine healthcare administrators’ perceptions of music therapy in one
Midwestern area. Invitations to participate in an online survey study were sent to individuals
with specific job titles in a specific Midwestern area. Questions pertained to participants’ past
experiences with music therapy, thoughts on whether or not to hire a music therapist, who
participants believe is qualified to provide music therapy, participants’ perceptions of the
effectiveness of music therapy when addressing various goal areas, and general information
about participants. There were 42 participants who began the survey and 41 participants who
completed it. Results showed that while the majority of participants had positive experiences
with music therapy in the past and were interested in hiring a music therapist in their
healthcare facilities, most did not currently have music therapists working in their healthcare
facilities. Also, results indicated that 34.1% of participants did not list board-certified music
therapists with Bachelors degrees and 39.0% of participants did not list board-certified music
therapists with Masters degrees to be qualified to provide music therapy. Other individuals
were also listed among those believed to be qualified to provide music therapy services.
Participants rated music therapy to be less effective when addressing goals related to physical
rehabilitation, pain management, and cognitive/memory recall when compared to other goal
areas, but was perceived to be most effective with relaxation/anxiety reduction. More
education is needed for healthcare administrators regarding cost-effectiveness, qualifications
of a board-certified music therapist, and benefits music therapy offers for different goal
areas. Also, more research that includes a larger geographic area would be beneficial. | en_US |
