The Impact of Live vs Pre-recorded Music on Dialysis Patients
Photo taken on June 2024
In partnership with National Kidney Foundation Singapore and The TENG Company, we are investigating how music impacts mental health, quality of life, and physiological wellbeing (specifically pain and itch) in dialysis patients.
Preparation began more than a year ago with the Centre for Music and Health (CMH) team - Principal investigator Dr Kat Agres, Research Assistant Nik Ilya, Research Coordinator Chen Yifan, manager Lydia Tan - meeting with co-investigators Nephrologist A/Prof Jason Choo, Dermatologist Dr Ellie Choi, Nephrologist Dr Hong Wei Zhen, and The TENG Company Director Dr Samuel Wong, and NKF Singapore Medical Services Manager Yan Hua.
Together with the National University of Singapore undergraduates Cardiye Sim, Fu Minjia, Claire Goh, Samruddhi, Ayesha, and Huang Yining, the month-long musical intervention was made possible at NKF Integrated Renal Centre and Lew Foundation NKF Dialysis Centre.
Photo taken on June 2024
The TENG Company is no stranger to dialysis patients at NKF. As part of TENG Gives Back initiative, they have been playing reminiscent tunes for patients during their dialysis sessions. According to the 2022 USRDS report, Singapore ranks sixth in the world for prevalence of kidney failure and first for diabetes-induced kidney failure. CMH aims to measure the impact of live music versus pre-recorded music on dialysis patients to further support the viability of music interventions as a low-risk medical tool.
Bilingual-speaking student research assistants were key to communicating with dialysis patients as most of them spoke in their mother tongue. Working closely with NKF Assistant Head of Volunteer Management, Selena Tan, dialysis patients’ best interests are priority and their safety and wellbeing are ensured through the intervention.
Now that the month-long musical intervention has concluded, stay tuned for the results!
“The Impact of Live vs Pre-recorded Music on Dialysis Patients” research is supported by the Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 grant.