2025 Animal Assisted Therapy

NCT07227181 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 104486
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 64
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study looks at whether walking with a therapy dog helps adult trauma patients move more during their hospital stay. Early movement after an injury or surgery can prevent problems such as blood clots, pressure sores, and muscle loss, but pain and anxiety often make it hard for patients to get out of bed. Each patient in this study takes part in two walking sessions-one with a certified therapy dog and one without a dog. The order is randomized, so some patients walk with the dog first and others walk without the dog first. Before and after each walk, patients fill out short surveys about their pain, anxiety, and motivation to move. The research team measures how far and how long each patient walks in both sessions. The goal of this project is to see if therapy dog visits can safely and effectively improve mobility, reduce pain and anxiety, and make walking more enjoyable for trauma patients. Findings from this study may help hospitals design better rehabilitation programs that use animal-assisted therapy to support physical and emotional recovery.

Conditions

Anxiety; Trauma; Hospitalized Adult Patients; Rehabilitation; Physical Mobility Impairment; Therapy Dog

Keywords

Animal-Assisted Therapy; Therapy Dog; Trauma Patients; Early Mobilization; Anxiety Reduction; Pain Reduction; Human-Animal Interaction

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (6)

• Change in Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing pain using the (Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale, DVPRS). Scores on the scale ranged from 0: no pain to 10: worst pain of patient's life.

  baseline and post intervention (1 day)

• Change in General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) Scale

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing anxiety using modified General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Scaled from not at all to a lot, resulting in a total score that can range from 0 to 21, with higher values reflecting more severe anxiety symptoms.

  Baseline and post intervention (1 day)

• General status

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing general status. Used likert scale ranging from very poor to excellent.

  baseline and post intervention (1 day)

• Willingness to mobilize

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing willingness to mobilize. Used likert scale ranging from no motivation at all to very much.

  baseline and post intervention (1day)

• Mobilization difficulty

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing mobilization difficulty. Used likert scale ranging from very easy to very hard.

  Baseline and post intervention (1 day)

• Overall mobility satisfaction

  Before and after each intervention, patients completed surveys assessing overall mobility satisfaction. Used likert scale ranging from not satisfied to very satisfied.

  Baseline and post intervention (1 day)

Study Arms (1)

Animal-assisted intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Trauma patients participating in Animal Assisted Intervention

Other: Therapy Dog; Other: Standard mobilization

Interventions

Therapy Dog OTHER

Patients assigned to AAI in the morning received standard mobilization in the afternoon, and vice versa. In the AAI intervention, patients interacted with the therapy dog and handler

Animal-assisted intervention

Standard mobilization OTHER

Patients assigned to AAI in the morning received standard mobilization in the afternoon, and vice versa. Standard mobilization no therapy dog is present

Animal-assisted intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 99 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adults (18 years of age and older)
• trauma patients

You may not qualify if:

• weight bearing limitation
• spine instability
• oxygen requirement \>2LPM, GCS \<15,
• high fall risk (as evidenced by door label)
• fear of dogs
• allergies to dogs
• prisoners

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Andrew Bernard: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital

Lexington, Kentucky, 40515-9578, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders; Wounds and Injuries; Human-Animal Interaction

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mental Disorders; Behavior

Study Officials

• Andrew Bernard, MD

  University of Kentucky

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 9, 2025
• First Posted: November 12, 2025
• Study Start: July 23, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 13, 2025
• Study Completion: August 23, 2025
• Last Updated: November 12, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)