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McGrath M, Smith J, Rattray NA, Lillie A, Crow S, Myers LJ, Myers J, Perkins AJ, Wasmuth S, Burns DS, Cheatham AJ, Patel H, Bravata DM. Teaching pursed-lip breathing through music: MELodica Orchestra for DYspnea (MELODY) trial rationale and protocol. Arts & health. 2022 Feb 1; 14(1):49-65.
BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) commonly experience dyspnea, which may limit activities of daily living. Pursed-lip breathing improves dyspnea for COPD patients; however, access to pursed-lip breathing training is limited. METHODS: The proposed MELodica Orchestra for DYspnea (MELODY) study will be a single-site pilot study to assess the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of a music-based approach to teach pursed-lip breathing. Patients with COPD and moderate-severe dyspnea are randomized to intervention, education-control, or usual care control groups. Intervention patients meet twice weekly for eight weeks for melodica instruction, group music-making, and COPD education. Safety, feasibility, and efficacy is assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS: This manuscript describes the rationale and methods of the MELODY pilot project. CONCLUSIONS: If pilot data demonstrate efficacy, then a multi-site randomized control trial will be conducted to evaluate program effectiveness and implementation.