Impact of Facility Dog Intervention on Pediatric Patients

Investigating the Impact of Facility Dog Intervention on Pediatric Patient Fear, Coping, and Anxiety During Inpatient Admission

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.

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.