Patient Opinion of Visiting Therapy Dogs in a Hospital Emergency Department

Joanne Reddekopp, Colleen Anne Dell, Betty Rohr, Barbara Fornssler, Maryellen Gibson, Ben Carey and James Stempien
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Joanne Reddekopp: Faculty of Education, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
Colleen Anne Dell: Department of Sociology & School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
Betty Rohr: College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
Barbara Fornssler: School of Public Health, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
Maryellen Gibson: Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
Ben Carey: Department of Sociology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada
James Stempien: Emergency Department, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A5, Canada

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: To date there have been no studies examining whether patients want emergency department (ED) therapy dog programs. This patient-oriented study examined the opinions of patients about whether they would want to be visited by a therapy dog in the Royal University Hospital ED. Cross-sectional survey data were collected over a six week period from a convenience sample of 100 adult patients who had not been visited by a therapy dog in the ED. Most (80%) indicated they would want a visit by a therapy dog as an ED patient. A higher proportion of individuals who currently have a pet dog (95%) or identify as having lots of experience with dogs (71%) were more likely to indicate this want compared to those without a dog (90%) or little to no experience with dogs (62%). The majority were also of the opinion that patients may want to visit a therapy dog in the ED to reduce anxiety (92%) and frustration (87%) as well as to increase comfort (90%) and satisfaction (90%) and to a lesser extent to reduce pain (59%). There was no significant difference in findings by gender or age, other than a higher proportion of older adults and females identifying cultural background and tradition as a possible reason that patients may not want to be visited by a therapy dog. The findings of this study can help guide considerations for future ED therapy dog programs.

Keywords: therapy dog; emergency department; patient opinion; companion dog; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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