Animal-Facilitated Therapy Program: Outcomes from Caring Canines, a Program for Patients and Staff on an Inpatient Surgical Oncology Unit.
Pamela Ginex, Mary Montefusco, Glenn Zecco and 5 others
PMID 29547605WHAT IT FOUND
Therapy dog visits did not improve depression, anxiety, or well-being scores in post-surgery patients or staff compared to usual care.
However, patients and staff overwhelmingly reported feeling happier, more motivated, and less stressed in open-ended responses.
Key findings
01There was no significant difference in the change of depression and anxiety scores between the therapy dog group and the usual care group.
02Staff work satisfaction scores for compassion satisfaction and burnout did not change significantly after the program was implemented.
03Qualitative responses from patients and staff were positive, citing happiness, hopefulness, distraction, and motivation as benefits.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a sequential control group rather than randomization, which introduces potential bias. Patients were recovering from surgery, so natural improvement over time may have masked any specific effect of the therapy dogs. The sample size was relatively small (100 patients, 41 staff). The intervention involved both the dog and the volunteer handler, making it impossible to separate the effect of the animal from the social interaction with the handler.
Declared interests
No conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that therapy dogs improve clinical outcomes like anxiety, depression, or staff burnout based on this study. The quantitative results were null for all primary and secondary measures. The positive effects were limited to subjective, qualitative descriptions of feeling happier or more motivated, which did not translate to statistically significant changes in validated scales.