title: Prevention of transmitted infections in a pet therapy program: An exemplar.
abstract: The focus of the patient experience in health care delivery has afforded the opportunity to integrate pet therapy as a part of patient care. The purpose of this article is to present the implementation of a pet therapy program that includes guidelines for the prevention of transmitted infections. Consideration of infection prevention strategies has resulted in a 16-year program with no documented incidences of transmitted infections, averaging 20,000 pet therapy interactions per year.
authors.affiliation: Mission Health, Asheville, NC.
authors.forename: Pam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hardin
authors.affiliation: Mission Health, Asheville, NC.
authors.forename: Janice
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Mission Health, Asheville, NC. Electronic address: Mary.Wright@msj.org.
authors.forename: Mary Ellen
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D056447:Animal Assisted Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000818:Animals; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Pet therapy; infection prevention