Improved Functional Independence Associated with Canine Assisted Intervention During Inpatient Rehabilitation: A...

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Animal-Assisted Therapy
• Patient Outcomes

Background:

• Inpatient rehabilitation aims to restore functional independence.
• The role of adjunctive therapies like canine-assisted intervention (CAI) is under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between CAI and functional independence in patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation.
• To explore dose-response relationships between CAI exposure and functional outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 1,619 adult patients in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF).
• Exposure defined as participation in at least one therapy session with a trained facility dog.
• Functional independence measured by GG Self-care and Mobility scores; analyzed using Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting.

Main Results:

• 16.6% of patients received CAI.
• CAI exposure was linked to greater improvement in composite functional independence (ATET: 2.4 points, p=0.049).
• A significant dose-response trend was observed, with higher cumulative CAI exposure correlating with better outcomes (p=0.048).

Conclusions:

• Canine-assisted intervention (CAI) is associated with improved functional independence in the inpatient rehabilitation setting.
• CAI may be a valuable addition to rehabilitation care, though further prospective studies are needed.
• Optimal patient selection and dosing for CAI require further investigation.