Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Aug 8, 2024
Date Accepted: Feb 13, 2025
Development of an eHealth Mindfulness-based Music Therapy Intervention for Adults Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Qualitative Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) is an effective treatment for various hematologic cancers, though it often results in severe side effects and psychological distress, which can negatively impact health outcomes. Integrative therapies like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), mindfulness meditation (MM), and music therapy (MT) yield promising results in enhancing both psychosocial outcomes (e.g., reducing anxiety and depression) and physiological adaptation (e.g., decreasing inflammation) in cancer patients.
Objective:
We developed and refined an eHealth-delivered mindfulness-based music therapy (eMBMT) intervention tailored to adults receiving allo-SCT.
Methods:
eMBMT intervention content is grounded in MT, MM, MBSR, developed by a multidisciplinary team, and adapted for adults undergoing allo-SCT. eMBMT content was refined through focus groups and usability/field testing with allo-SCT survivors.
Results:
During the focus groups, participants (n=11, Mage=43.6) provided qualitative feedback highlighting the shock of diagnosis, challenges during hospitalization, and coping strategies post-treatment. The eMBMT platform received positive evaluations for usefulness (M=6.47), ease of use (M=6.92), and satisfaction (M=6.16). Key themes from field testing highlighted the significance of social support, hope, and maintaining an active lifestyle. Suggestions for improvement included incorporating more representative content, reducing text, enhancing guidance, offering diverse music options, and streamlining blood sample collection.
Conclusions:
The eMBMT intervention is a comprehensive, user-friendly eHealth tool tailored to the unique needs of allo-SCT patients. The positive feedback and identified areas for improvement underscore its potential to enhance well-being, symptom management, and overall quality of life for cancer survivors. A future pilot RCT will further evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the eMBMT intervention in improving health-related quality of life, symptom burden, disease activity, and psychosocial and physiological adaptation. Clinical Trial: Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05968963
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.