Complementary therapies are increasingly being offered by hospices to end-of-life clients. Dingley et al (2021)1 conducted an integrative review to better understand the implementation and outcomes of complementary therapy (CT) as a component of hospice care.
The study used the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s definition of complementary therapy: “a group of diverse medical and health care interventions, practices, products, or disciplines not generally considered part of conventional (Western or allopathic) medicine.”
Twenty-three studies, published between 2006 and 2020, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Music therapy (39%), biofield therapies (reiki, therapeutic touch) (26%), and massage therapy (22%) were the most used forms of CT, while studies examining the use of aromatherapy, guided meditation, and relaxation were also included in the review.
The authors categorized the outcome measures described in the studies into two main categories: 1. Physical symptom management (pain/discomfort, fatigue/tiredness/drowsiness, dyspnea or ease of breathing, sleep, gastrointestinal symptoms, and agitation/restlessness) and 2. Psychosocial and spiritual support (anxiety, depression/low mood, spirituality/inner peace and well-being, quality of life, and satisfaction).
Most studies demonstrated positive results, while 40% had both significant and non-significant findings. One study was included that did not have any significant or positive findings related to the CT intervention.
The authors concluded that this review provides support for inclusion of CT as a component of holistic hospice care but did note some inconsistencies amongst effectiveness of various CT modalities and the outcomes studied.
- Dingley, C., Ruckdeschel, A., Kotula, K., & Lekhak, N. (2021). Implementation and outcomes of complementary therapies in hospice care: an integrative review. Palliative Care and Social Practice, 15. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8552400/
