Music-based interventions for people with kidney failure undergoing haemodialysis.
Hiroki Nishiwaki, William Mm Levack, Takeshi Hasegawa et al.
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In 30 seconds
This Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis assessed randomised trials of music-based interventions in people with kidney failure receiving haemodialysis. It included 27 studies with 1,584 participants; 24 studies (1,467 participants) contributed to quantitative synthesis. The review found that music may reduce short-term fatigue: on the 10-point Piper Fatigue Scale, the mean difference was -3.14 (95% CI -3.83 to -2.45; 1 study, 62 participants), with low-certainty evidence. For several other outcomes, including blood pressure, the evidence was very uncertain.
Key findings
- Music-based interventions may reduce short-term fatigue versus comparators (MD -3.14, 95% CI -3.83 to -2.45; 1 study, 62 participants; low-certainty evidence).
- The effect on medium-term fatigue was very uncertain (SMD -1.99, 95% CI -3.92 to -0.06; I² = 91%; 2 studies, 86 participants).
- Evidence for short-term blood pressure effects was very uncertain (MD -5.95, 95% CI -10.56 to -1.34; I² = 70%; 8 studies, 674 participants).
Why it matters
Symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, depression and pain can substantially affect people receiving haemodialysis. This review evaluates music-based approaches as non-pharmacological interventions, but the limited and often uncertain evidence means their potential benefits should be interpreted cautiously. The findings also identify outcomes and follow-up periods where further reliable trials are needed.
What to keep in mind
Evidence certainty was low or very low for reported critical outcomes, and some estimates came from few participants or showed substantial heterogeneity. No studies assessed long-term fatigue or blood pressure.