Pressure InjuriesNCT07456618
Using Music During Wound Care Among Seniors With Pressure Injuries
A study testing Music listening in people with Pressure Injuries and Pressure Injury, run by McMaster University at 11 sites in Canada.
Trial summary
Pressure injuries (also known as pressure wounds or bed sores) are increasingly common among older adults living in care homes. These wounds often require regular dressing changes, which can be uncomfortable for some. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 60 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Pressure Injuries, Pressure Injury, Pressure Ulcer (PU)
- What is being tested?
- Music listening
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 11 sitesCanada
- Study dates
- 1 Apr 2026to 1 Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 60 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 60 years or older
- Has a stage II, III, or IV pressure injury
Who cannot join
- Designated as end of life and/or has a Kennedy terminal pressure injury
- Has an unstageable pressure injury
- The pressure injury has necrotic tissue or necrotic bone present
- The pressure injury is infected
- The pressure injury is caused by a medical device in that area
- Severe to profound hearing loss that is not corrected by a hearing aid or other assistive hearing device.
Trial locations and contacts
11 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
11 sites in 1 country
Canada11 sites
Wellington Park Care Centre
Burlington, Ontario, L7S 1X2
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Anson Place Care Centre
Hagersville, Ontario, N0A 1H0
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Arbour Creek Care Centre
Hamilton, Ontario, L8G 1J3
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Dundurn Place Care Centre
Hamilton, Ontario, L8R 3L8
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Cooksville Care Centre
Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 1B5
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Hawthorne Place Care Centre
North York, Ontario, M3N 1M9
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Orchard Terrace Care Centre
Stoney Creek, Ontario, L8E 5J2
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Sprucedale Care Centre
Strathroy, Ontario, N7G 2A8
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Eatonville Care Centre
Toronto, Ontario, M9B 3Z9
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Banwell Gardens Care Centre
Windsor, Ontario, N8N 0B3
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
Berkshire Care Centre
Windsor, Ontario, N9A 4P4
Sandy Croley, 416-479-4345, sandycroley@kinderaliving.ca
About this study
Official title: Investigating the Use of Music During Wound Care
Pressure injuries (also known as pressure wounds or bed sores) are increasingly common among older adults living in care homes. These wounds often require regular dressing changes, which can be uncomfortable for some.
The researchers believe that listening to music during wound care may have an effect on pain, wound healing, and the overall wound care experience, compared with wound care without music.
Read more
The goal of this clinical study is to test this idea by examining whether listening to music before and during wound care is linked to differences in pain, wound healing, and the overall wound care experience in older adults with pressure injuries.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
Does listening to music before and during pressure injury care affect pain during wound care? Does listening to music before and during pressure injury care affect how pressure injuries heal over time? Does listening to music affect the overall experience of pressure injury care? Researchers will compare wound care with music to wound care without music to better understand whether music makes a difference.
The study will take place in eleven long-term care homes in Ontario. Participants will be residents aged 60 years and older who have a stage II, III, or IV pressure injury and who are already receiving regular wound care as part of their usual care. This study will not include residents who have infected or necrotic wounds, or who are at the end of life.
Participants will continue to receive the same wound care they would normally receive. Some homes will include music during wound care, and some homes will not.
Participants in homes using music will:
Listen to a playlist of music they personally enjoy for about 15 minutes before wound care begins Continue listening to the music during the wound care procedure Be able to change the volume or stop the music at any time Participants in homes not using music will receive the same standard pressure injury care without music.
Information for the study will come from clinical records that nurses already complete during routine wound care, such as notes about pain and wound healing. Staff involved in playing the music will also complete a short questionnaire about their observations of the wound care experience. Photos of wounds that are already taken as part of usual care may be reviewed to look at healing over time.
Participants may take part in the study for up to six months or until their wound has healed. Taking part is voluntary, and participants or their decision-makers can choose to stop at any time. The study does not change the medical care participants receive.
- Conditions
- Pressure Injuries, Pressure Injury, Pressure Ulcer (PU)
- Being tested
- Music listening
- Keywords
- Pressure Ulcer, Pressure Injury, Music, Wound Care, Long-Term Care, Aged, Quality of Life
- Medical subject headings
- Pressure Ulcer
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Music listeningOther
Personalized playlists of each individual resident's favourite music will be created. This playlist will be played at the resident's preferred volume, using headphones if requested, 15 min before and during their wound care.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Music intervention arm | Experimental | Participants in this group will have their personalized playlists (i.e., based on their musical preferences) played for them ~15 minutes before and during their standard wound care. The participants can adjust the volume and/or pause the music at any time. Receives: Other: Music listening |
| Control arm | No intervention | Participants in this group will receive standard wound care. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Presence of wound pain during dressing change
Measured as yes/no.
Measured: At each dressing change (weekly or every 2-3 days, depending on the participant), up to 6 months.
Frequency of wound pain during dressing changes
Measured categorically as none/intermittent/at dressing/ continuous.
Measured: At each dressing change, up to 6 months.
Secondary outcomes (3)
Wound area
Wound length and width will be combined to report area in cm^2.
Measured: Measured weekly for up to 6 months.
Time to complete healing
Measured as time from the first documented instance of the wound in the individual's electronic medical record, to full epithelization (also reported in their chart).
Measured: Measured for up to 6 months.
Caregivers' perceptions
Brief post-wound care questionnaire completed by the recreational team members where they will track their perceptions of the overall wound care experience. Responses to Likert-scale items assessing observed comfort, distraction, and overall experience (ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree, with an option of unable to observe). For the intervention group, was music played (yes/no), and using the same above Likert-scale, whether the music had a positive effect on the resident's comfort and experience during wound care. Space for a comment to elaborate as well.
Measured: Measured weekly for up to 6 months.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted6 Mar 2026
- Study start1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Pressure InjuriesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by McMaster UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- One group will listen to music before/during wound care, the other will not.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- McMaster University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kindera Living, Room 217 Foundation, Queen's University
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Chelsea Mackinnon, McMaster University
- Investigators
- Chelsea Mackinnon, Principal investigator, McMaster University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07456618
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 19584
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Feb 2026
- Last updated
- 6 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: We believe that for the purposes of reporting outcomes in this study, aggregate data will be sufficient.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 6 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Investigating the Use of Music During Wound Care
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07456618
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 19584
- Conditions
- Pressure Injuries, Pressure Injury, Pressure Ulcer (PU)
- Keywords
- Pressure Ulcer, Pressure Injury, Music, Wound Care, Long-Term Care, Aged, Quality of Life
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- McMaster UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Kindera Living, Room 217 Foundation, Queen's University
- Study start
- 1 Apr 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 1 Oct 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 6 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Pressure injuries (also known as pressure wounds or bed sores) are increasingly common among older adults living in care homes. These wounds often require regular dressing changes, which can be uncomfortable for some.
The researchers believe that listening to music during wound care may have an effect on pain, wound healing, and the overall wound care experience, compared with wound care without music.
The goal of this clinical study is to test this idea by examining whether listening to music before and during wound care is linked to differences in pain, wound healing, and the overall wound care experience in older adults with pressure injuries.
The main questions this study aims to answer are:
Does listening to music before and during pressure injury care affect pain during wound care? Does listening to music before and during pressure injury care affect how pressure injuries heal over time? Does listening to music affect the overall experience of pressure injury care? Researchers will compare wound care with music to wound care without music to better understand whether music makes a difference.
The study will take place in eleven long-term care homes in Ontario. Participants will be residents aged 60 years and older who have a stage II, III, or IV pressure injury and who are already receiving regular wound care as part of their usual care. This study will not include residents who have infected or necrotic wounds, or who are at the end of life.
Participants will continue to receive the same wound care they would normally receive. Some homes will include music during wound care, and some homes will not.
Participants in homes using music will:
Listen to a playlist of music they personally enjoy for about 15 minutes before wound care begins Continue listening to the music during the wound care procedure Be able to change the volume or stop the music at any time Participants in homes not using music will receive the same standard pressure injury care without music.
Information for the study will come from clinical records that nurses already complete during routine wound care, such as notes about pain and wound healing. Staff involved in playing the music will also complete a short questionnaire about their observations of the wound care experience. Photos of wounds that are already taken as part of usual care may be reviewed to look at healing over time.
Participants may take part in the study for up to six months or until their wound has healed. Taking part is voluntary, and participants or their decision-makers can choose to stop at any time. The study does not change the medical care participants receive.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- One group will listen to music before/during wound care, the other will not.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Music intervention arm | Experimental | Other: Music listeningParticipants in this group will have their personalized playlists (i.e., based on their musical preferences) played for them ~15 minutes before and during their standard wound care. The participants can adjust the volume and/or pause the music at any time. |
| Control arm | No intervention | –Participants in this group will receive standard wound care. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 60 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 60 years or older
- Has a stage II, III, or IV pressure injury
Key exclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Designated as end of life and/or has a Kennedy terminal pressure injury
- Has an unstageable pressure injury
- The pressure injury has necrotic tissue or necrotic bone present
- The pressure injury is infected
- The pressure injury is caused by a medical device in that area
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Music listeningPersonalized playlists of each individual resident's favourite music will be created. This playlist will be played at the resident's preferred volume, using headphones if requested, 15 min before and during their wound care. | Other | Music intervention arm |
Primary outcome
Presence of wound pain during dressing change
Time frame: At each dressing change (weekly or every 2-3 days, depending on the participant), up to 6 months.
Measured as yes/no.
Frequency of wound pain during dressing changes
Time frame: At each dressing change, up to 6 months.
Measured categorically as none/intermittent/at dressing/ continuous.
3 secondary outcomes
Wound area
Time frame: Measured weekly for up to 6 months.
Time to complete healing
Time frame: Measured for up to 6 months.
Caregivers' perceptions
Time frame: Measured weekly for up to 6 months.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 6 Mar 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. We believe that for the purposes of reporting outcomes in this study, aggregate data will be sufficient.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Chelsea Mackinnon principal investigator
McMaster University
11 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Music listening in people with Pressure Injuries and Pressure Injury, run by McMaster University at 11 sites in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 6 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 11 sites in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Sinead George ((905) 525-9140 ext. 20705, georgs19@mcmaster.ca), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Presence of wound pain during dressing change (time frame: At each dressing change (weekly or every 2-3 days, depending on the participant), up to 6 months.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 6 Mar 2026.