Dr. Dog Reduces Pain and Anxiety

Plos One published a study finding that a 10-minute visit with a therapy dog for emergency department patients led to a clinically significant reduction in pain and anxiety and helped patients experience a greater sense of well-being.

James Stempien, head of Emergency Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in Saskatoon, Canada, who took part in the study, said these outcomes were not observed among people who did not meet a therapy dog.

“This gives us confidence in the intervention. We also found that interacting with dogs benefits staff. Thanks to our wonderful volunteer therapy dog teams, the cost is minimal and the outcome is priceless.”

A survey of patients waiting in the emergency department showed that most wanted to meet a therapy dog. Another survey assessed patients before and after meeting a therapy dog in the emergency department. It showed increased perceived comfort and reduced distress following the visit. Dogs were also reported to be welcome distractions in the stressful emergency department environment.

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The study at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon included 97 patients. Of these, 46% were women, and the mean age was 56. Patients' pain, anxiety, depression and well-being were measured with the revised Edmonton Symptom Assessment System, an 11-point scale, before meeting the therapy dog, immediately afterward and 20 minutes later. Blood pressure and heart rate were also recorded at these time points. The same data were collected twice, 30 minutes apart, from a control group of 101 people who did not meet a therapy dog (39% were women, and the mean age was 57).

The researchers reported that meeting a therapy dog had a small but statistically significant effect on participants' anxiety, depression and pain. Patients who met the dog gave lower scores in each of the anxiety, depression and pain categories than the control group. They also reported feeling significantly better after meeting the dog. However, the visit had no significant effect on blood pressure or heart rate.

James Stempien said: “I definitely think this is something hospitals should pursue. Working with therapy dogs to support patients has had wonderful success elsewhere in the hospital, for example in supporting pediatric patients. The emergency department can be a frightening place for many people. People often come to the emergency department on the worst days of their own lives or their loved ones' lives. Support in the form of a therapy dog is welcomed as something most people can relate to. Interacting with a therapy dog can soften the experience of the reason for coming to the emergency department.”

A Unique Study

Behavioral health specialist Kara Rauscher, noting that most studies of animal-assisted interventions are qualitative in nature, commented on the study: “Data from this controlled clinical trial have expanded the body of studies supporting the effectiveness of animal-assisted interventions. It can also be replicated in other emergency departments to strengthen our understanding of the potential benefits of these programs.”

Rauscher has focused on staff well-being in part of her work with Nashville Cares, an AIDS service organization. She described her work as follows: "This work involves bringing therapy dogs in for staff to spend time with during the workday; anecdotally, our staff reported reduced stress and improved mood."

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