Developing a Canine-Assisted Pediatric Palliative Care Program (FR229)

Outcomes 1. Describe the advantages of a coordinated canine-assisted palliative care program for pediatric patients 2. Illustrate clinical scenarios where canine-assisted therapy provides an advantage for specific domains of palliative care 3. Demonstrate understanding of program development logistics, including funding, process, and metrics for success Canine-assisted therapy is a natural fit for pediatric palliative care programs, as it provides physiologic, psychologic, emotional, and spiritual benefit to team members and patients alike. There is a growing body of literature supporting canine-assisted therapy, including improved relaxation, communication, and connection for patients, family members, and medical staff. Embedding dogs in hospitals is also a growing area in program development nationally, although few are specifically assigned to pediatric palliative care teams. This session seeks to describe the benefits and logistics of adding canine-assisted palliative care to the pediatric setting. Specifically, we will discuss how facility dogs are chosen and trained for specific areas of service, how they receive specialized training, and how to develop knowledgeable handlers to allow them to provide comfort to even the most fragile patients. The dogs are recognized as staff members and work full time to support patients in moments of grief, stress, pain, and anxiety. Benefits include providing comfort during difficult conversations, assisting with rapport and relationship development, and bringing comfort to patients, families, and staff. In addition to describing these benefits, our session will answer the logistics of how to implement pediatric palliative care into the hospital setting, including developing quality improvement metrics, determining budgets and funding, avoiding transmission of infection, and determining referral processes for patients and staff who might benefit from canine-assisted palliative care.