COVID-19: Implications and considerations for NICU music therapy in Italy, Japan and Colombia

AbstractThis article outlines the shifts in NICU music therapy due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Japan, and Colombia, from the beginning of the outbreak in each of the countries until September 2020. Detailed information will be provided on how the pandemic has changed hospital policies and has had an impact on the families and the music therapy services. Furthermore, the authors discuss current biosecurity protocols, parental visiting guidelines, telehealth strategies, and the financial impact of the pandemic. While the way healthcare workers and healthcare institutions cope with the current situation may be unique according to cultural and societal particularities in each country, many overlaps between the three countries were found.