Linder Deborah E, Siebens Hannah C, Mueller Megan K, Gibbs Debra M, Freeman Lisa M
Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction and Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA.
Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction and Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA.
Am J Infect Control. 2017 Aug 1;45(8):883-887. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2017.04.287. Epub 2017 Jun 30.
Animal-assisted intervention (AAI) programs are increasing in popularity, but it is unknown to what extent therapy animal organizations that provide AAI and the hospitals and eldercare facilities they work with implement effective animal health and safety policies to ensure safety of both animals and humans. Our study objective was to survey hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations on their AAI policies and procedures.
A survey of United States hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations was administered to assess existing health and safety policies related to AAI programs.
Forty-five eldercare facilities, 45 hospitals, and 27 therapy animal organizations were surveyed. Health and safety policies varied widely and potentially compromised human and animal safety. For example, 70% of therapy animal organizations potentially put patients at risk by allowing therapy animals eating raw meat diets to visit facilities. In general, hospitals had stricter requirements than eldercare facilities.
This information suggests that there are gaps between the policies of facilities and therapy animal organizations compared with recent guidelines for animal visitation in hospitals.
Facilities with AAI programs need to review their policies to address recent AAI guidelines to ensure the safety of animals and humans involved.
动物辅助干预（AAI）项目越来越受欢迎，但提供AAI的治疗动物组织以及与之合作的医院和老年护理机构在何种程度上实施有效的动物健康和安全政策以确保动物和人类的安全尚不清楚。我们的研究目的是就其AAI政策和程序对医院、老年护理机构和治疗动物组织进行调查。
对美国的医院、老年护理机构和治疗动物组织进行了一项调查，以评估与AAI项目相关的现有健康和安全政策。
共调查了45家老年护理机构、45家医院和27个治疗动物组织。健康和安全政策差异很大，可能会危及人类和动物的安全。例如，70%的治疗动物组织允许食用生肉饮食的治疗动物前往机构，这可能会使患者面临风险。总体而言，医院的要求比老年护理机构更严格。
这些信息表明，与医院动物探访的最新指南相比，机构和治疗动物组织的政策之间存在差距。
开展AAI项目的机构需要审查其政策，以符合最新的AAI指南，确保所涉及的动物和人类的安全。
