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Is your hospital going to the dogs? Perhaps, that is, if your hospital administrators believe in AAT.
That’s not a new randomized placebo-controlled trial for a nifty new medication? Far less complex, it is the simple acronym for animal-assisted therapy, a novel therapeutic modality that is spreading across the country.
I was surprised the first time I saw a canine proudly strutting down the hall of a hospital like he belonged there, but it makes perfect sense. Numerous studies have shown the positive psychological, physical, and even survival benefits of pet ownership. For many, their pet is a beloved member of the family.
But does AAT really work? Apparently so.
Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., utilizes AAT regularly to improve both the emotional and physical well-being of its patients. The renowned UCLA Medical Center has gone four-legged. The UCLA People-Animal Connection (PAC) is one of America’s most comprehensive animal-assisted therapy and activity programs. Even the Joint Commission uses PAC’s protocols to promote AAT, both here and abroad.
According to research published in the American Journal of Critical Care (2008;17:373-6), the benefits of AAT are primarily the result of "contact comfort," a tactile process during which unconditional attachment bonds form between humans and animals, leading to relaxation by reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress. AAT was found to improve hemodynamics in patients with advanced heart failure by reducing right atrial pressure, both systolic and diastolic pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and neurohormone levels.
So the next time you see a dog and his owner stroll down the halls of your hospital, step aside. They have an important job to do as well.
Dr. Hester is a hospitalist with Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, Md., who has a passion for empowering patients to partner in their health care. She is the creator of the Patient Whiz, a mobile app for iOS.
Is your hospital going to the dogs? Perhaps, that is, if your hospital administrators believe in AAT.
That’s not a new randomized placebo-controlled trial for a nifty new medication? Far less complex, it is the simple acronym for animal-assisted therapy, a novel therapeutic modality that is spreading across the country.
I was surprised the first time I saw a canine proudly strutting down the hall of a hospital like he belonged there, but it makes perfect sense. Numerous studies have shown the positive psychological, physical, and even survival benefits of pet ownership. For many, their pet is a beloved member of the family.
But does AAT really work? Apparently so.
Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., utilizes AAT regularly to improve both the emotional and physical well-being of its patients. The renowned UCLA Medical Center has gone four-legged. The UCLA People-Animal Connection (PAC) is one of America’s most comprehensive animal-assisted therapy and activity programs. Even the Joint Commission uses PAC’s protocols to promote AAT, both here and abroad.
According to research published in the American Journal of Critical Care (2008;17:373-6), the benefits of AAT are primarily the result of "contact comfort," a tactile process during which unconditional attachment bonds form between humans and animals, leading to relaxation by reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress. AAT was found to improve hemodynamics in patients with advanced heart failure by reducing right atrial pressure, both systolic and diastolic pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and neurohormone levels.
So the next time you see a dog and his owner stroll down the halls of your hospital, step aside. They have an important job to do as well.
Dr. Hester is a hospitalist with Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, Md., who has a passion for empowering patients to partner in their health care. She is the creator of the Patient Whiz, a mobile app for iOS.
Is your hospital going to the dogs? Perhaps, that is, if your hospital administrators believe in AAT.
That’s not a new randomized placebo-controlled trial for a nifty new medication? Far less complex, it is the simple acronym for animal-assisted therapy, a novel therapeutic modality that is spreading across the country.
I was surprised the first time I saw a canine proudly strutting down the hall of a hospital like he belonged there, but it makes perfect sense. Numerous studies have shown the positive psychological, physical, and even survival benefits of pet ownership. For many, their pet is a beloved member of the family.
But does AAT really work? Apparently so.
Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill., utilizes AAT regularly to improve both the emotional and physical well-being of its patients. The renowned UCLA Medical Center has gone four-legged. The UCLA People-Animal Connection (PAC) is one of America’s most comprehensive animal-assisted therapy and activity programs. Even the Joint Commission uses PAC’s protocols to promote AAT, both here and abroad.
According to research published in the American Journal of Critical Care (2008;17:373-6), the benefits of AAT are primarily the result of "contact comfort," a tactile process during which unconditional attachment bonds form between humans and animals, leading to relaxation by reducing cardiovascular reactivity to stress. AAT was found to improve hemodynamics in patients with advanced heart failure by reducing right atrial pressure, both systolic and diastolic pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, and neurohormone levels.
So the next time you see a dog and his owner stroll down the halls of your hospital, step aside. They have an important job to do as well.
Dr. Hester is a hospitalist with Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, Glen Burnie, Md., who has a passion for empowering patients to partner in their health care. She is the creator of the Patient Whiz, a mobile app for iOS.
