174458 Human-animal bond in care settings; a qualitative review of one pet-assisted therapy program

Monday, October 27, 2008: 2:30 PM

Lisa Eckl, BA , Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
     
Objective: The impact of animals on human well being is vastly understudied. Many humane societies and non-profits across the US have Pet-Assisted Therapy (P-AT) programs where they go regularly to visit the sick, elderly, disabled or other populations in need. It is common to hear that P-AT programs help people feel better but systematic research is lacking when it comes to the satisfaction of facilities using pet-assisted therapy programs for their residents, clients or patients.

Methods: Qualitative data were collected from one agency taking part in a P-AT program and coded to identify common themes.

Results: Themes identified included: anticipation, gratitude, satisfaction, patients/client/resident benefits, and areas for improvement. The most prominent theme was gratitude/appreciation/thanks for the P-AT program visiting the facilities. Anticipation consisted of two subthemes: anticipating each monthly visit and return of the P-AT program after being put back on the waiting list. Satisfaction broke down into client and staff satisfaction of the program, animals, volunteers, staff, and visits. Benefits ranged from bringing smiles to faces to helping patients live longer. Improvements were primarily based on the restraints of the program to only bring certain types of animals.

Discussion: The results will be discussed in the context of the existing P-AT program and compared to other research that has been completed on similar programs. The themes identified will then be discussed in terms of the existing theories that are used to explain the benefits of the human-animal bond.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify constructs found in an evaluation of a pet-assisted therapy program.. 2. Analyze the constructs of gratitude, anticipation, satisfaction, benefits, and improvements in the context of existing pet-assisted therapy programs and theories used to explain the human-animal bond.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the only person reviewing and analyzing the qualitative data found in the survey of the pet-assisted therapy program. I am not reviewing the data as a promotional activity nor do I have any connection to a commercial entity that will benefit me personally.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: The Human- Animal Bond: The Benefits Of Companion Animals in Care and other Settings.
See more of: Veterinary Public Health