Therapy Dog Visits for Patients Hospitalized With Traumatic Injuries

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-06-04

Study Completion Date

2026-06-30

Brief Summary

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Animal assisted therapy (AAT) with dogs has been shown to be beneficial for a wide range of patients with both acute and chronic illnesses, including spinal cord injuries, heart failure, myocardial infarctions, strokes, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. Studies have also demonstrated that even in healthy adults, the presence of dogs is associated with physiologic changes such as increased pain threshold, decreased blood pressure, and decreased heart rate. However, few studies have investigated the role of AAT in the post-operative course in adults. This study will investigate the impact of therapy dog visits on pain and anxiety scores for trauma patients at Boston Medical Center (BMC).

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Detailed Description

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This study will be a randomized control design. Within 48 hours of admission, the study team will approach eligible patients admitted to the inpatient trauma service to discuss the study and obtain informed consent from patients expected to be admitted for 3-7 days. Consenting patients will be randomized to either a) participate in 2-3 ten-minute dog visits or b) receive 2-3 ten-minute visits with a handler alone. Within 24 hours after the last anticipated study visit, a member of the study team will administer a survey to assess participants' pain, depression, anxiety, mood, and emotional quality of life.

Conditions

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Trauma Injury Depression Anxiety Anger Pain

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Therapy dog visits

Participants randomized into this arm will receive visits from a therapy dog and their handler during hospitalization.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Therapy dog visits

Intervention Type OTHER

2-3 ten-minute visits by a trained therapy dog and the dog's handler

Dog handler visits

Participants randomized into this arm will receive visits from a dog handler during hospitalization.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Dog handler visits

Intervention Type OTHER

2-3 ten-minute visits by a dog handler

Interventions

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Therapy dog visits

2-3 ten-minute visits by a trained therapy dog and the dog's handler

Intervention Type OTHER

Dog handler visits

2-3 ten-minute visits by a dog handler

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Patients admitted to the Trauma and Acute Care Surgery (TACS) service following a trauma
* English or Spanish speaking
* Able to provide informed consent