As hospice utilization continues to grow in the United States, music therapy has emerged as a valuable service for addressing patient needs at end of life. While existing research highlights the benefits of music therapy, less is known about how often patients should be seen to maximize its impact. This presentation shares findings from a national survey of board-certified music therapists with hospice experience, identifying the most common visit frequencies and the key factors that influence them. Results reveal that biweekly visits are most typical, with frequency shaped by both patient needs and hospice organizational factors such as staffing and caseload. Attendees will gain insight into current practice patterns and explore recommendations for aligning visit frequency with best practices

Learning Outcomes

(1) Describe national palliative care guidelines and quality frameworks that identify spiritual and existential needs as core components of interdisciplinary care. (2) Demonstrate how to use evidence-based tools to screen for and assess existential and spiritual distress in palliative care settings. (3) Apply protocols to clinical workflows to improve the integration of chaplains into care planning and interventions in palliative care.