The sight of a dog in a therapy vest trotting down a hospital hallway or being petted by a child lying in a hospital bed is familiar to many, yet the scientific research showing the impact of therapy animals is largely anecdotal. Our work is changing that.
In a carefully designed study, we are evaluating the effects of human-animal interactions (HAI) on reducing anxiety, depression, worry and pain, and increasing quality of life in children with cancer, as well as their parents. Our goal is to obtain strong data to support the positive health benefits of HAIs in decreasing suffering of children, particularly those diagnosed with cancer.
A registered canine team visits for 10-15 minutes during each child’s potentially anxiety-producing hospital or clinic appointments, which occur approximately every week. After being introduced to the dog, the child and parents participate in activities such as petting the dog, taking it on a walk or teaching it new tricks. Children and their parents or guardians complete measures of stress/anxiety, depression, and quality of life at the start of the project and then two more times at weeks 4 and 8.
Results of the study will provide a strong foundation for full-scale testing of human-animal interventions among children receiving treatment for cancer. Results will also identify characteristics of those most likely to benefit.
For more information on the study, please contact Dr. Mary Jo Gilmer.
Meet the Team
Principal Investigator: Dr. Mary Jo Gilmer
Dr. Mary Jo Gilmer earned her PhD in nursing at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Prior to that, she worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Pediatric Cardiovascular surgery and received a Commonwealth Fund Fellowship to pursue her MBA at Queens University. An undergraduate degree from Michigan State University and a master’s degree from the University of Illinois round out her formal education. Dr. Gilmer has received numerous awards for her research and teaching expertise and has been a leader in several international health care projects in Belize, Uganda, China, Italy and Ecuador. Her research focus is enhancing care of children with life-threatening conditions through establishment of a core advanced comfort care service at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Currently she is Director of the Pediatric Palliative Care Research Team.
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Dr. Anne Byrd Mahoney
1st Year Fellow
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Jennifer Newton
Graduate Research Assistant
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Haley Walker
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Molly Rosenthal
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Relevant Research
Cowfer, B., Akard, TF., & Gilmer, M.J. (2021). Animal-assisted interventions for children with advanced cancer: Child and parent perceptions. Palliative Medicine Reports, 2(1), 328-334. DOI: 10.1089/pmr.2021.0039
Walker, H., Miller, M.C., Cowfer, B., Akard, TF., & Gilmer, M.J. (Dec, 2021). Protocol of a pilot study of the effects of animal-assisted interactions (AAI) on quality of life in children with life-threatening conditions and their parents. International Journal of Palliative Care Nursing 27(10), 524-530. DOI: 10.12968/ijpn. 2021.27.10.524
McCullough A., Ruehrdanz, A., Jenkins, M.A., Gilmer, M.J., Olson, J., Pawar, A., Holley, L., Sierra-Rivera, S., Linder, D.E., Pichette, D., Grossman, N.J., Hellman, C., Guérin, N.A., & O’Haire, M.E. (2018). Measuring the effects of an animal-assisted intervention for pediatric oncology patients and their parents: A multisite randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 35(3),159-177. DOI: 10.1177/1043454217748586
McCullough, A., Jenkins, M.A., Ruehrdanz, A., Gilmer, M.J., Olson, J., Pawar, A., Holley, L., Sierra-Rivera, S., Linder, D.E., Pichette, D., Grossman, N.J., Hellman, C., Guerin, N.A., O’Haire, M.E. (2018). Physiological and behavioral effects of animal assisted interventions on therapy dogs in pediatric oncology settings. Applied Animal Behavioural Science, 200, 86-95. DOI: 10.10.16/j.applanim.2017.11.014
Beard, K, Akard, T.F.,DeGrood, D, Duffy, M, Fallon, A, Sanders, A., Gilmer, M.J. (2017). All heart: Animal-assisted interventions with hospitalized children. Association of Child Life Professionals, 35(2), 20-26.
Gilmer, M.J., Baudino, M.N., Goddard, A.T., Vickers, D.C., & Akard, T.F. (2016). Animal-Assisted Therapy in Pediatric Palliative Care. Nursing Clinics of North America, 51(3) 381-395. DOI: 10.1016/j.cnur.2016.05.007
Lab Alumni
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Dr. Brittany Cowfer
3rd Year Fellow
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Mary Chapman Miller
Undergraduate Research Assistant