title: Therapy dogs in the emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined acceptance by staff and patients of a therapy dog (TD) in the emergency department (ED).
  
  
  METHODS
  Immediately after TD visits to a University Hospital ED, all available ED staff, patients, and their visitors were invited to complete a survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 125 "patient" and 105 staff responses, most were favorable. Ninety-three percent of patients and 95% of staff agreed that TDs should visit EDs; 87.8% of patients and 92% of staff approved of TDs for both adult and pediatric patients. Fewer than 5% of either patients or staff were afraid of the TDs. Fewer than 10% of patients and staff thought the TDs posed a sanitary risk or interfered with staff work.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both patients and staff approve of TDs in an ED. The benefits of animal-assisted therapy should be further explored in the ED setting.
authors.forename: Nickolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nahm
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: Blake K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Bankwitz
authors.forename: McAllister
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelaz
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Joel C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Shackson
authors.forename: Manik N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Vicken Y
authors.initials: VY
authors.lastname: Totten