Animal Assisted Therapy

Part of paid clinical trials in Lexington, Kentucky.

Sponsor
Andrew Bernard
Study ID
NCT07227181
Status
Recruiting
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Conditions

  • Anxiety
  • Hospitalized Adult Patients
  • Pediatric Patient (1m-21y)
  • Physical Mobility Impairment
  • Rehabilitation
  • Therapy Dog
  • Trauma

Eligibility Criteria

Sex
ALL
Age
4 Years - 99 Years
Healthy Volunteers
Not accepted

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
  • 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

Study Details

This study looks at whether walking with a therapy dog helps adult and pediatric 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.

Key Dates

First listed
Nov 12, 2025
Start date
Jul 23, 2025
Status verified
Jul 2026
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2026
Completion
Dec 31, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment
128 participants (estimated)
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT

Arms

  • Experimental: Animal-assisted intervention
    Trauma patients participating in Animal Assisted Intervention

Primary Outcome Measure

Change in Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale [ Time Frame: baseline and post intervention (1 day) ]

Central Contacts

Locations (1)

FacilityCityStateZIPSite coordinators
University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler HospitalLexingtonKentucky40515-9578
Jessica C Borzansky
[email protected]
8593586642
Andrew C Bernard, MD
[email protected]

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By research site
University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital· Lexington, KY

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