Service Dogs and People with Physical Disabilities Partnerships: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Occupational therapists have recognized the benefits that service dogs can provide people with disabilities. There are many anecdotal publications extolling the benefits of working with service dogs, but few rigorous studies exist to provide the evidence of the usefulness of this type of assistive technology option. This systematic review evaluates the published research that supports the use of service dogs for people with mobility-related physical disabilities. Articles were identified by computerized search of PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, OT Seeker, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, SportDiscus, Education Research Complete, Public Administration Abstracts, Web of Knowledge and Academic Search Premier databases with no date range specified. The keywords used in the search included disabled persons, assistance dogs or service dogs and mobility impairments. The reference lists of the research papers were checked as was the personal citation database of the lead author. Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and whereas the findings are promising, they are inconclusive and limited because of the level of evidence, which included one Level I, six Level III, four Level IV and one Level V. All of the studies reviewed had research design quality concerns including small participant sizes, poor descriptions of the interventions, outcome measures with minimal psychometrics and lack of power calculations. Findings indicated three major themes including social/participation, functional and psychological outcomes; all of which are areas in the occupational therapy scope of practice. Occupational therapists may play a critical role in referral, assessment, assisting clients and consulting with training organizations before, during and after the service dog placement process. In order for health care professionals to have confidence in recommending this type of assistive technology, the evidence to support such decisions must be strengthened.

Recognizing the value of assistance dogs in society

“…The most commonly reported benefit, as well as the main purpose of an assistance dog partnership, is the improved ability to carry out daily tasks (Lane et al, 1998, Whitmarsh, 2005, Rintala et al, 2008, Winkle et al, 2012. Research conducted by Guide Dogs UK in 1999…”

“…The systematic review by Winkle et al 2012, reviewed 12 published studies on the use of service dogs for people with mobility related physical disabilities, and described the evidence as 'promising' but 'inconclusive and limited' due to the issues with the quality and levels of evidence. However the impact of an assistance dog is complex, with many interlinking factors, such as the role of the dog, the dog's behaviour and skills, the individual's needs and involvement with society, the support framework within family and the community, and the interaction of an assistance dog partnership with society.…”

Participation and social participation: are they distinct concepts?

“…33 Authors have frequently been using the concept of social participation interchangeably with participation. [34][35][36] Further, authors use social participation in relation to concepts of social integration, social inclusion or social activity. 15 While the first authors consider participation and social participation as synonyms, the latter seem to differentiate between the two concepts.…”

Assessing the benefits and risks of owning a pet

“…12 Several studies suggest patients receiving treatment that includes therapy dogs show improved pain scores. 12 For most people, however, the benefits of pet ownership remain intangible.…”