Fur-thering recovery: Exploring the Influence of Canine-Assisted Therapy Dogs on Stroke Rehabilitation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration

20 Dec 2023

Stroke Rehabilitation MCC PAWS @UCC

In September 2023, the School of Nursing and Midwifery launched a dog wellness program across the university campus in partnership with My Canine Companion, the largest service dog provider in Ireland. This forward-thinking partnership reflects our dedication to exploring novel approaches in healthcare and rehabilitation. Current evidence suggests that canine-assisted therapy has the potential to enhance patient health outcomes, therefore we have recently introduced canine-assisted therapy at CUH as an innovative pilot approach to enhance stroke rehabilitation. This addition, of a therapy dog to the team exemplifies our commitment to providing person-centered care, bolstering social interaction, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.

Our research team is deeply committed to advancing the field of healthcare and rehabilitation by exploring the innovative potential of therapy dogs in enhancing patient outcomes and interdisciplinary collaboration. Our, project, Fur-thering Recovery: Exploring the Influence of Canine-Assisted Therapy Dogs on Stroke Rehabilitation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration aligns seamlessly with the goals and priorities of the funding initiative, as it addresses key themes related to quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and patient-centered care.

Our study proposal was successful in a competitive funding bid and aims to push the boundaries of traditional healthcare delivery by introducing a novel approach that has the potential to positively impact the lives of stroke patients. The aim of this research project is to explore canine-assisted therapy in an interdisciplinary stroke rehabilitation space focusing on the influence of this novel approach to rehabilitation outcomes and interdisciplinary collaboration, from the perspectives of patients and Health and Social Care Professions.

This is a research project funded by the National Health and Social Care Professions (HSCP) Office, led by University College Cork (UCC) in collaboration with Cork University Hospital (CUH) and My Canine Companion (MCC).  

Research Team: Dr Irene Hartigan, Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing & Midwifery, UCC; Dr Helen Kelly, Senior Lecturer, School of Clinical Therapies, UCC; Anne Barrett Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, CUH, Marie Condon, Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, CUH and Jade Burke, Occupational Therapist, CUH.