(125) Impact of Musical Art and Visual Art Encounters on Symptom Management and Health Outcomes of Hispanic Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy Infusion: Lessons Learned on Implementing an Outpatient Arts in Medicine Program

Background: Although research demonstrates better health outcomes in patients who engage in the arts during medical treatment, little is known about the impact of the arts among Hispanic patients. This pilot study systematically measured the impact of musical art and visual art on health outcomes of Hispanic cancer patients who engaged one-on-one with artists during chemotherapy infusion.

Methods: Patients who engaged with artists during chemotherapy were asked to voluntarily complete surveys to rate their anxiety and depression levels from 1-10 on a visual analog scale (VAS) before the art encounter (baseline) and after the art encounter. Statistical analysis compared baseline and post-artistic encounter VAS severity scores for anxiety and depression, demographic variables, and type of art engagement between Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants using paired samples T-Test and chi squares.

Results: To date, the sample consists of 1,974 adult cancer patients with a mean age of 63 years; 72% females (Nf1424), 28% males (Nf550); 71% Hispanic (Nf 1397), 28% non-Hispanic (Nf550); 89% white (Nf1748). Approximately 77% participants (Nf1523) engaged with musicians and 23% (Nf 451) engaged with visual artists during chemotherapy. Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants endorsed comparable baseline levels of moderately severe anxiety (mean score = 6.2) and moderately severe depression (mean score = 5.7) on the 10-point VAS before artistic encounters. Both musical art encounters and visual art encounters significantly reduced baseline anxiety levels (p < .001) and baseline depression levels (p < .001) among Hispanic and non-Hispanic participants during chemotherapy. Males were significantly less likely to engage in the visual arts (p < .001).

Conclusion: Visual art and musical art encounters during chemotherapy significantly reduced moderately severe baseline anxiety and depression levels among 1,397 Hispanic cancer patients receiving systemic chemotherapy. These preliminary findings may represent the largest database investigating the impact of the arts on health outcomes of Hispanic cancer patients.