Provider Use of Pet Therapy to Improve ComPassion, Burnout and EmpathY: The PUPPY Project

Edward Hines Jr Va Hospital, Hines IL

Investigators

Abstract

Background. Employee burnout is a significant problem which affects up to half of VA providers and staff. Burnout has been associated with a wide range of negative individual and work-related outcomes, and negatively impacts patient care. The available evidence in support of therapy animals and their effect on employee morale is promising, and indicates that such arrangements effectively reduce employee stress, improve affect, promote overall health, reduce absenteeism, and positively effect productivity levels, quality of work, morale, and job satisfaction. Despite the highly promising application of therapy animals as a way to improve employee morale and well-being, studies examining the impacts of having therapy animals in work settings are sparse, and this type of program has never been studied in a health care setting. Specific Aims. The overall objective of this pilot study is to evaluate the use of an animal therapy program to improve well-being among VA health care providers and staff from a local VA Women's Health clinic, allowing us to examine the process and preliminary outcomes associated with the program across a range of clinical and non-clinical disciplines to inform the development of a larger trial. Specific Aims are to: (1) Assess the feasibility of developing and integrating an animal therapy program in a VA health care setting. (2) Examine the acceptability of offering an animal therapy program for VA providers and staff. (3) Gather preliminary data about the potential effectiveness and economic impacts of the animal therapy program on provider and staff employment-related outcomes to inform the development of a larger trial. Significance. If this study finds that an animal therapy program is feasible and acceptable to VA employees, it will provide a novel and innovative approach to address a top priority of the VA ? bolstering employee wellness and reducing burnout. Innovation. Despite the promising potential of animal therapy programs to improve employee well-being, to our knowledge, this type of program has never been offered to VA healthcare team members (either clinical or non-clinical) and no research on the topic has been conducted. Methods. Eligible participants will comprise the 33 providers and staff working in the Women's Health Clinic. Before implementing the animal therapy program, we will field an online survey with these employees to gather information needed to refine and finalize the logistics of the program and collect baseline data on employee outcomes (burnout, stress, turnover intention, empathy). We anticipate that a therapy dog and handler pair will visit the clinic for 2 hours at a time, every other week, for 3 months (6 visits). Feasibility, acceptability and cost data will be assessed via a focus group conducted during the Women's Health Clinic team meeting most closely following the completion of the animal therapy program, semi-structured interviews with a sub-set of employees who participated in the program and dog handlers who facilitated the program, and post- implementation online surveys; surveys will also include post-program measures of employee outcomes. Expected Results. We expect to find that participation in the animal therapy program will be high and the program well-received by VA employees. We anticipate that logistical issues will be worked out, any workflow concerns identified will be addressed, and that the program will have very low associated costs. We hypothesize that participating in the animal therapy program will result in better employment-related outcomes (e.g., stress, burnout, turnover intention, empathy) among providers and staff. Next Step(s). Results from this pilot project will provide preliminary data to inform a larger intervention study examining the implementation and effectiveness of an animal therapy program to improve employment- related outcomes among VA employees. Our long-term goal is to develop a scalable and sustainable animal therapy program that the VA can use on a national level to improve workforce morale and engagement.