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Biomedical subjects

Johanne Gagnon

Publications and source records attributed to Johanne Gagnon.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

A magical dream: a pilot project in animal-assisted therapy in pediatric oncology.

For children with cancer, being hospitalized represents a great source of stress. Hospitalized children are not only deprived of their familiar and comforting world, but they must also face various and often painful treatments. They must quickly adapt to new people and to an environment that is very different from that of their homes. They have greater safety needs. Thus, it is important to offer these children concrete ways to better adapt to the stresses of hospitalization. Animal-assisted therapy, considered within this project as a novel approach to care, constitutes an interesting solution. It involves using the privileged relation between children and animals to foster the process of adaptation to illness and the hospital environment. The experience described in this article is a one-year pilot project completed on a pediatric oncology unit. A priori, an already very heavy workload, the vulnerability of the patients, and many constraints added to the concerns related to the presence of animals on a tertiary care unit. A postiori, the rigorous design and implementation process of the pilot project, the strong involvement and engagement of volunteers and professionals, the quality of the participating "therapeutic" dogs, the originality of the entire process, and the satisfaction of the patients and nursing staff contributed to its success and to establishing the basis for a permanent implementation of this special care program for children hospitalized with cancer.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Implementing a hospital-based animal therapy program for children with cancer: a descriptive study.

Children living with cancer must cope with the disease, frequent hospitalizations, aggressive treatments and numerous treatment side effects. Combined, these stressors can lead to adverse biopsychosocial effects. An animal therapy program called "A Magical Dream" was instituted for children hospitalized in pediatric oncology to promote their well-being during hospitalization and facilitate their adaptation to the therapeutic process. The main goal of this preliminary study was to complete a descriptive assessment of the program implementation using Donabedian's quality model. This study aims more specifically at documenting the observed connection between participating in the program, quality of care and satisfaction of participating parents and nurses. A total of 16 parents of children and 12 nurses took part in the implementation study and composed the sample. Data were collected through two self-administered questionnaires intended for parents and one questionnaire for nurses. Evaluating the quality of the animal therapy program includes issues related to user profiles, animal therapy intervention process, organizational structure and client outcomes. It appears that dog-assisted therapy may contribute to alleviate psychological distress in children and parents, facilitate their adaptation to the therapeutic process, and promote their well-being while hospitalized. The goal of a second phase to the project will be to verify the effectiveness of the animal therapy intervention by targeting more specifically children hospitalized with solid tumours. Stemming from a nursing initiative started in 1999, this project aims to promote the well-being of children living with cancer during their hospitalization, reduce their emotional distress and facilitate their adaptation to the therapeutic (psychological, physical and social) process by promoting the emergence of special bonds between children and animals. The animal therapy program at CHUQ allows children accompanied by a parent to spend a whole day with a dog while being hospitalized in a room that is safe, warm and family friendly (Landry et al., 2000). In addition to facilitating the child's adaptation, this initiative may contribute to improving the quality of care, especially by offering a service for which client outcomes have already been noted (refreshing rest, better nourishment, physical exercise, socialization, participation in recreational activities, verbalization of fears and concerns, feeling less anxious, happier, etc.). Animal therapy is defined as a clinical method aiming to promote the natural and healing bonds that exist between humans and animals, both for preventive and therapeutic reasons (Daoust, 1987). The rationale behind this practice is that animals naturally stimulate an attraction and involvement response in humans (Brodie & Biley, 1999), which is then reflected in the person's well-being. As well-being is inconsistent with the state of emotional distress, animal-assisted therapy may be a beneficial intervention to alleviate distress in the child, his family and caregivers.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

[Evaluation and validation of quality care indicators relative to empowerment in complex chronic disease].

The purpose of the study was to identify, validate and rank, through multi-attribute hierarchical analysis, indicators of quality of care related to the empowerment of patients having a chronic complex illness, or their natural care givers. This methodological study was carried within case management and was theoretically based on the quality model of Donabedian (1980) and the empowerment theory of Zimmerman (1995), while also drawing from values underlying nursing practise described by the health promotion model of Allen (1977). Two groups of professional and one group of non professional were considered. Using the DELPHI technique and interviews, the study has 1) provided an evaluation model for quality of care comprising 239 elements (12 main attributes, 75 secondary attributes and 152 indicators), 2) allowed its validation, and 3) its ranking by experts. The discussion encompasses theoretical, empirical and methodological considerations.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The impact of a case management approach for total hip and knee arthroplasty patients].

The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the impact of introducing a case management approach for total hip (THA) and knee (TKA) arthroplasty patients, on the number of complications, visits to the emergency clinic and readmissions, as well as on length of stay (LS). The period covered by this retrospective study was fiscal 1999-2000. Subjects were divided into an experimental group, with the case management, and a control group receiving the usual care. The second goal of the research was to compare these groups with non-equivalent groups from fiscal 1996-1997, before case management was introduced. The reference framework used is the case management model in the institution. All in all, 256 files (52%) were reviewed. We found that the LS, for THA and TKA cases in the hospital where the experiment was done, had decreased considerably three years after case management was introduced, and that this reduction was also significant for TKA cases in comparison with the non-case management group at the control group hospital, without compromising certain clinical results.

Academic Medical Centers↗