Canine-Assisted ANxiety Reduction IN Emergency Care IV

Indiana University

Overview

Prior literature demonstrates that human stress can be reduced with exposure to animals. This study challenges current dogma by introducing a widely available, low cost method of dog therapy to reduce patient and provider stress. The objectives of this study are to determine if interaction with a certified therapy dog and handler can; * decrease reported anxiety levels in emergency department (ED) patients, * decrease salivary cortisol in ED patients, * decrease total morphine equivalent dosing in the emergency department or at discharge and/or, * decrease reported stress levels in emergency department providers caring for participating patients when compared to usual care.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Anxiety Acute Chronic Pain

Interventions

ControlOTHER

Control

Dog TherapyOTHER

Exposure to certified therapy dogs and their handler.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: Patients * Age 18-89 years * Chronic pain, defined as pain on most days for \>6 weeks * Triage pain score \>6 out of 10 OR * Age 18-89 years * Currently experience crisis, including suicidality, or * Meet the standard of a provider assessment of "severe stress" defined by their identification that the patient meets a score of greater than six on the FACES stress scale Providers • Faculty, residents, advanced practitioners, and nurses who work in the ED and identify themselves as being the nurse or physician of record for the enrolled patients. Therapy Dog Handlers • Handler of a certified therapy dog and volunteer of Eskenazi's Therapy Dog Program Exclusion Criteria: Patients * Violent behavior * Overt intoxication * Non-English speaking * Any reported prior fear or adverse reaction to dogs Providers • Any reported prior fear or adverse reaction to dogs Therapy Dog Handlers • None

Locations (1)

Eskenazi Health System

Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Morphine equivalent narcotic administration in emergency department patients with chronic pain

Total morphine equivalent narcotic administration while in the emergency department or as a discharge prescription will be recorded for enrolled patients.

Time frame: Date of enrollment until emergency department discharge, up to 72 hours

Change in reported stress levels in ED patients with chronic pain using Wong-Baker FACES Scale (10 = worst)

Change in self reported stress levels of emergency department patients using a Wong-Baker FACES Scale for anxiety between baseline and T1

Time frame: Baseline and T1 (~45 minutes after baseline)

Change in salivary cortisol in ED patients with chronic pain

Change in salivary cortisol levels in emergency department patients between baseline and T1

Time frame: Baseline and T1 (~45 minutes after baseline)

Number of narcotic, sedative and/or neuroleptic doses administered in ED patients with emotional crisis

Time frame: Date of enrollment until emergency department discharge, up to 72 hours

Change in reported stress levels in ED patients with emotional crisis using Wong-Baker FACES Scale (10 = worst)

Change in self reported stress levels of emergency department patients using a Wong-Baker FACES Scale for anxiety between baseline and T1

Time frame: Baseline and T1 (~45 minutes after baseline)

Change in salivary cortisol in ED patients with emotional crisis

Change in salivary cortisol levels in emergency department patients between baseline and T1

Time frame: Baseline and T1 (~45 minutes after baseline)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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Canine-Assisted ANxiety Reduction IN Emergency Care IV

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes