Impact of Facility Dog Intervention on Pediatric Patients

N/ANot Yet RecruitingNCT07221006

Children's Hospital Colorado126 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if medical dog intervention facilitated by a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) impacts pediatric patient coping, fear, and anxiety during inpatient admissions. The main questions it aims to answer are: What impact does facility dog support via a CCLS have on patient fear, coping, and anxiety? What effect does facility dog support via a CCLS have on patient heart rate? Researchers will compare medical dog intervention facilitated by a CCLS, CCLS intervention, and a coloring activity to see if medical dog interventions positively impact coping, fear, and anxiety. Participants will: Receive a visit from a medical dog and their CCLS handler, a CCLS, or a Child Life Activity coordinator. Engage in a mindfulness or coloring activity. Answer surveys regarding anxiety, coping, and fear. Have their heart rate measured before, during, and after their assigned intervention.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

126

Conditions

Inpatients Pediatric

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 8 YearsMax age: 17 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Children admitted to an inpatient unit at Children's Hospital Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus * Who are eight to 17 years old. Exclusion Criteria: * Isolation precautions * Primary reason for admission is due to suicidality, self-injurious behavior, or injurious behavior * Patients with history of or currently presenting with aggression or unsafe behavior * Severe comorbidities secondary to traumatic brain injury, neurological disorder or neurodevelopmental issues that may confound study outcomes and administration of the study protocol (e.g., intellectual disability) * Not medically stable * Have a fear of dogs * Have an allergy to dogs * Have had a visit from a medical dog and medical dog handler during their current admission * Patient has an urgent or time-sensitive need requiring medical dog support - Patient is non-verbal.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Spielberger State Trait Anxiety Inventory Short Form

A 6-item measure that assesses anxiety via self-report. Individuals rate their agreement with six statements on a 4-point scale, ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much), with higher scores indicating more anxiety.

Time frame: Baseline and approximately 15 minutes after starting the intervention.

Children's Fear Scale

A 1-item measure that assesses fear via self-report faces scale. Individuals rate their fear on a scale, ranging from no fear to extreme fear, by selecting one of five face pictures that matches how they feel.

Time frame: Baseline and approximately 15 minutes after starting the intervention.

Coping Questionnaire - Child

Measures youth's perceived ability to cope on a three-item, individualized measure. Children rate their ability to make themselves less upset during an anxiety-provoking situation on a 7-point scale, ranging from 1 (not at all able to help myself or him/herself) to 7, with lower scores indicating poor coping.

Time frame: Approximately 15 minutes after starting the intervention.

Secondary Outcomes

Heart Rate

Participants' heart rate will be measured at four time points using a bedside heart rate monitor.

Time frame: Baseline, before the intervention, 5 minutes after intervention start, post-intervention (approximately 15 minutes after intervention start).

Parent Survey

Legal guardians will be if the participant has any developmental and/or psychological diagnoses, as well as if the patient has a dog at home.

Time frame: Before the intervention.