Abstract
Objective: To measure changes in medication usage of as-needed, psychoactive medications and other select as-needed medication usage as a result of a therapy dog residing in the rehabilitation facility. Additional measures are participants' thoughts and feelings on quality-of-life factors. Design: One group, pretest, post-test. Setting: Residential rehabilitation facility. Participants: Convenience sample, N = 58 residents living at the facility. Intervention: A certified, trained therapy dog. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in as-needed medication usage for the following categories: analgesics, psychoactive medications, and laxatives, as well as changes in vital sign measurements of blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, and body weight. Additionally, changes in the residents' perception of quality-of-life factors. Results: One of the three monitored drug classes, analgesia, revealed a decrease in medication usage (mean = 2.6, standard deviation [SD] +/- 6.90, P= 0.017), and one of four monitored vital signs, pulse, showed a decrease (mean = 5.8, SD +/-7.39, P = 0.000) in study participants exposed to the therapy dog. Positive changes were reported in study participants' quality of life. Conclusion: The benefits to human welfare as a result of the presence of a therapy dog have the potential to decrease medication usage for certain conditions in long-term care patients as well as decrease costs. Pharmacist involvement in animal-assisted therapy has the potential to make unique and measurable improvements to best patient care.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 580-585 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Consultant Pharmacist |
| Volume | 22 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| State | Published - Jul 2007 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Pharmaceutical Science
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Measuring clinical outcomes of animal-assisted therapy : Impact on resident medication usage. / Lust, Elaine; Ryan-Haddad, Ann; Coover, Kelli L.; Snell, Jeff.
In: Consultant Pharmacist, Vol. 22, No. 7, 07.2007, p. 580-585.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Measuring clinical outcomes of animal-assisted therapy
T2 - Impact on resident medication usage
AU - Lust, Elaine
AU - Ryan-Haddad, Ann
AU - Coover, Kelli L.
AU - Snell, Jeff
PY - 2007/7
Y1 - 2007/7
N2 - Objective: To measure changes in medication usage of as-needed, psychoactive medications and other select as-needed medication usage as a result of a therapy dog residing in the rehabilitation facility. Additional measures are participants' thoughts and feelings on quality-of-life factors. Design: One group, pretest, post-test. Setting: Residential rehabilitation facility. Participants: Convenience sample, N = 58 residents living at the facility. Intervention: A certified, trained therapy dog. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in as-needed medication usage for the following categories: analgesics, psychoactive medications, and laxatives, as well as changes in vital sign measurements of blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, and body weight. Additionally, changes in the residents' perception of quality-of-life factors. Results: One of the three monitored drug classes, analgesia, revealed a decrease in medication usage (mean = 2.6, standard deviation [SD] +/- 6.90, P= 0.017), and one of four monitored vital signs, pulse, showed a decrease (mean = 5.8, SD +/-7.39, P = 0.000) in study participants exposed to the therapy dog. Positive changes were reported in study participants' quality of life. Conclusion: The benefits to human welfare as a result of the presence of a therapy dog have the potential to decrease medication usage for certain conditions in long-term care patients as well as decrease costs. Pharmacist involvement in animal-assisted therapy has the potential to make unique and measurable improvements to best patient care.
AB - Objective: To measure changes in medication usage of as-needed, psychoactive medications and other select as-needed medication usage as a result of a therapy dog residing in the rehabilitation facility. Additional measures are participants' thoughts and feelings on quality-of-life factors. Design: One group, pretest, post-test. Setting: Residential rehabilitation facility. Participants: Convenience sample, N = 58 residents living at the facility. Intervention: A certified, trained therapy dog. Main Outcome Measure(s): Changes in as-needed medication usage for the following categories: analgesics, psychoactive medications, and laxatives, as well as changes in vital sign measurements of blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, and body weight. Additionally, changes in the residents' perception of quality-of-life factors. Results: One of the three monitored drug classes, analgesia, revealed a decrease in medication usage (mean = 2.6, standard deviation [SD] +/- 6.90, P= 0.017), and one of four monitored vital signs, pulse, showed a decrease (mean = 5.8, SD +/-7.39, P = 0.000) in study participants exposed to the therapy dog. Positive changes were reported in study participants' quality of life. Conclusion: The benefits to human welfare as a result of the presence of a therapy dog have the potential to decrease medication usage for certain conditions in long-term care patients as well as decrease costs. Pharmacist involvement in animal-assisted therapy has the potential to make unique and measurable improvements to best patient care.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34447525551&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Article
C2 - 17714002
AN - SCOPUS:34447525551
VL - 22
SP - 580
EP - 585
JO - The Senior care pharmacist
JF - The Senior care pharmacist
SN - 2639-9636
IS - 7
ER -