Background music improves experience of Covid-19 vaccination for citizens and vaccination staff - a pilot study.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused elevated levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Health care staff daily deal with varying degrees of agitation and anxiety which requires perseverance and a high degree of motivation and concentration. This study aimed to meet such diverse challenges by supporting citizens and staff through Covid-19 vaccine procedures in Spring 2021 using background music. A curated playlist was developed in collaboration with health care staff and medical staff. Observation data was collected on three days with music and on three days without music with a total of 699 citizens and 39 employees participating. Analysis of data indicated how background music in connection with vaccination may have a positive effect on citizens and staff, especially in terms of citizen experience of waiting time, of mood, of sound environment in the vaccination hall, as well as staff experience of contact with citizens and of cooperation with colleagues. Implementing curated playlists requires professional expertise to maximize potential benefits, as background music also can have negative effects. The involvement of staff is essential in addressing ethical aspect, as they need to be fully informed about background music and its appropriate usage.