State of the Field Report: Arts in Healthcare / 2009
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A young patient enjoys percussion lessons through the Snow City Arts program at Rush University Children’s Hospital in Chicago, IL 2009/ State of the Field Report ARTS IN HEALTHCARE Arts in Healthcare is a diverse, multidisciplinary field dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience by connecting people with the power of the arts at key moments in their lives. This rapidly growing field integrates the arts, including literary, performing, and visual arts and design, into a wide variety of healthcare and community settings for therapeutic, educational, and expressive purposes. State of the Field Report: Arts in Healthcare / 2009 A March 2003 symposium, hosted by the National contributing authors Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Society Judy Rollins for the Arts in Healthcare, brought together 40 Jill Sonke experts in medicine, the arts, social services, Randy Cohen media, business, and government to develop a Anita Boles strategic plan for advancing cultural programming Jiahan Li in healthcare. The strategic plan aimed to help advocates raise awareness of the benefits of arts editors in healthcare, better document and disseminate Olivia Goodman research demonstrating its value, move toward Elaine Sims a national funding base, and develop adequate training to educate and train healthcare workers and sponsors administrators (NEA, 2003). The participants in this Society for the Arts in Healthcare landmark symposium included representatives from Americans for the Arts the Johnson & Johnson Foundation, the American The Joint Commission Hospital Association, Johns Hopkins University, University of Florida Center for the Arts in Americans for the Arts, National Institute on Healthcare Aging, and The Joint Commission. For a full list of participants, see: http://www.arts.endow.gov/ citation resources/Accessibility/aihr/AIHParticipants.html. State of the Field Committee. (2009). State of the field report: Arts in healthcare 2009. The following State of the Field Report offers Washington, DC: Society for the Arts in information about progress in the field since the Healthcare. symposium, which resulted in recommendations and a strategic direction to advance the arts in healthcare. © 2009 Society for the Arts in Healthcare Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Areas of Focus 3 Prevalence of Arts in Healthcare Programs in the United States: Survey Results 4 2004 Program Prevalence Survey Summary 4 2007 Survey Summary and Comparison to 2004 8 2008 Economic Benefits Survey 11 Conclusion 12 Benefits of the Arts in Healthcare: a Sampling of Research Findings 13 Methods Used to Measure Benefits 15 Music 16 Visual Arts 17 Effects of Images 17 Design Implications 18 Dance 19 Literature, Creative Writing, and Storytelling 20 Drama 20 Health Promotion and Injury Prevention 21 Theory 22 Economic Benefits 24 Summary of Research 25 Moving Forward 26 References Executive Summary Throughout recorded history, we see evidence that pictures, stories, dances, music, and drama have been central to healing rituals. Today’s renewed focus on humanistic care is leading to resurgence in the knowledge and practice of incorporating the arts into healthcare services. Increasing numbers of clinicians and other New evidence is emerging that demonstrates that professionals from the medical community are these programs also have an economic benefit. Data working side by side with arts professionals in both show that such programs result in patients requiring healthcare and community settings, and around the shorter hospital stays, less medication, and having world the arts are emerging as an important and fewer complications—all of which translates to a integral component of healthcare. In two recent reduction in healthcare costs. However, much of the surveys, nearly half of the healthcare institutions in research focused on the economic benefits of arts the United States reported having arts in healthcare in healthcare is anecdote rich and data poor. It is programming. The majority of these programs are in hoped that future analysis of the economic benefits hospitals, with smaller percentages reported in long- of arts in healthcare programs will advance policy term care and hospice/palliative care organizations. conversations about using the arts to simultaneously The three most common types of arts programming reduce health costs and raise the quality of care. are permanent display of art, performances in public spaces, and bedside activities. Conversely, there is a rich and growing body of research connecting arts in healthcare programs to Research demonstrates the benefits of the arts improved quality of care for patients, their families, in healthcare in hospitals, nursing homes, senior and even medical staff. Studies have proven that centers, hospices, and other locations within the integrating the arts into healthcare settings helps community. Arts in healthcare programs and to cultivate a healing environment, support the creative arts therapies have been applied to a vast physical, mental, and emotional recovery of patients, array of health issues—from post-traumatic stress communicate health and recovery information, and disorder to autism, mental health, chronic illnesses, foster a positive environment for caregivers that Alzheimer’s and dementia, neurological disorders reduces stress and improves workplace satisfaction and brain injuries, premature infants, and physical and employee retention. disabilities—to improve patients’ overall health outcomes, treatment compliance, and quality of life. 1 2009 State of the Field Report: Arts in Healthcare caring for caregivers Areas of Focus Caregivers, such as family, friends, and healthcare patient care providers in hospitals, hospices, and other health The incorporation of the arts into the healthcare facilities, are faced with the realities of human experience has a positive impact on patient health suffering, illnesses, and death on a daily basis. Arts outcomes. The arts benefit patients by aiding in programming for caregivers creates a common, their physical, mental, and emotional recovery, more normative environment, and offers caregivers including relieving anxiety and decreasing the an opportunity for creativity and self-expression perception of pain. In an atmosphere where the that allows them to healthfully integrate their patient often feels out of control, the arts can serve experiences and emotions instead of carrying them as a therapeutic and healing tool, reducing stress home or into the workplace. In addition, the arts and loneliness and providing opportunities for self- give medical professionals new tools for improving expression. Art also has the power to communicate diagnostic and communication skills and can be and educate, giving it a growing role of significance used to better communicate health and recovery in healthcare institutions. In addition, research information. The arts help overcome barriers by shows that the arts can reduce patients’ use of embracing diversity, reinforcing family members’ pain medication and length of stay in the hospital, supportive role in the healing process, and changing and improve compliance with recommended the culture within the healthcare facility to one that treatments—offering substantial savings in is more supportive and humane. healthcare costs. community well-being healthcare environments Arts in healthcare can benefit communities The arts create safer, more supportive and by engaging people in arts programs aimed at functional environments in healthcare facilities. promoting prevention and wellness activities and From architectural design to art on the walls, communicating health information to improve from access to natural lighting to the inclusion of knowledge. For students in medical and other nature through landscape and healing gardens, the healthcare fields, the arts can enhance their physical environment has a significant impact on skills—improving their observational, diagnostic, reducing patient and caregiver stress, improving and empathic abilities. It helps them to understand health outcomes, enhancing patient safety and patients in a different way and connect with them overall quality of care, and reducing costs. The on a more humanizing level. physical environment also plays an important role in improving the health and safety for staff, increasing effectiveness in providing care, reducing errors, and improving job satisfaction. The following State of the Field Report was designed to present an overview of arts in healthcare in the United States. The report details the prevalence of arts in healthcare programs, makes a business case for arts in healthcare, provides a sampling of current research findings, and concludes with a look to the future. 2 2009 State of the Field Report: Arts in Healthcare Prevalence of Arts in Healthcare Programs in the United States survey results In 2004 and again in 2007, the Society for the Arts in Healthcare partnered with The Joint Commission and Americans for the Arts to conduct surveys that examine the presence of the arts in U.S. healthcare facilities. The surveys were developed collaboratively by arts in healthcare programs. The following narrative the partnering organizations and administered by will summarize all three surveys and cite several The Joint Commission to accredited healthcare noteworthy conclusions and correlations. institutions throughout the U.S. fig 1 Prevalence of Arts in Healthcare Programs The results of both surveys showed a significant presence of arts programs and practitioners