Hippotherapy Practice and Safety Patterns in the United States: A Descriptive Survey Study.
Abstract: Objective: The use of equine movement as a therapy tool in a plan of care, or hippotherapy, has grown considerably over the past three decades. However, there is little evidence of safety rates and related practice patterns to guide key stakeholders such as clients, therapists, the health care team, and third-party payers. The purpose of this article is to describe the safety and practice patterns of contemporary use of hippotherapy. Design: A survey was distributed to occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), and speech-language pathology clinicians who incorporate hippotherapy into their practice. The survey included questions about clinicians' practice patterns, safety procedures, and rates of safety incidents. Results: Results indicate that hippotherapy is most often used by PT and OT clinicians for pediatric clients. Use of hippotherapy varies by geographic location, and frequency and duration vary widely. Clinicians most often contract their services to a program that provides a facility and horses. Recommended safety practices are widely adopted, and rates of safety incidents requiring basic first aid (0.05% of sessions) or off-site care (0.01% of sessions) are low. Emergency dismounts are frequently practiced and often effective in preventing an incident. Conclusions: Although there are inherent risks to incorporating horses into a therapeutic plan of care, these risks appear to be well managed by recommended safety practices. Results of this study can (1) help clinicians to make informed decisions regarding practice and safety procedures, (2) provide evidence of safety practices and incident rates to clients, members of the health care team, and third-party payers, and (3) maximize safety for clients who participate in hippotherapy.
Publication Date: 2020-06-17 PubMed ID: 32551824DOI: 10.1089/acm.2020.0039Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This research article examines the safety practices and patterns associated with hippotherapy, a therapeutic methodology that utilizes horse riding as an intervention approach. It further emphasizes on the importance of these safety practices to ensure minimal risks during therapy sessions.
Introduction to Hippotherapy
- The study focuses on hippotherapy, a type of therapy that uses horse riding to improve the client’s balance, posture control, motor coordination, emotional development, and sensory integration. Its usage has significantly increased over the past three decades.
- Despite its growing popularity, there is minimal evidence on its safety measures, the rate of any related safety incidents, and the overall practice patterns. The study aims to cover these areas and thus help relevant stakeholders including clients, therapists, health care teams, and insurers make informed decisions.
Research Methodology and Demographics
- The researchers conducted a survey targeting clinicians specializing in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology, who incorporate hippotherapy into their practices.
- The survey sought to uncover information about clinicians’ practice patterns, their implementation of safety protocols, and the frequency of safety-related incidents.
- The study disclosed that hippotherapy is mainly utilized by physical and occupational therapists when dealing with pediatric clients. The usage and application of hippotherapy was also found to differ based on geographic location and the duration and frequency of therapy sessions vary widely.
Safety Practices in Hippotherapy
- Results showed that most clinicians contracted their services to programs with established facilities and horses.
- The study highlighted the consistent adoption of the recommended safety measures. For instance, the data presented showed low rates of incidents requiring basic first aid or off-site care, indicating effectiveness in safety practices.
- The practice of ’emergency dismounts’ was also frequently performed and found to be effective in mitigating incidences.
Implications of the Research Findings
- The data gathered suggests that while there are inherent risks involved in mingling horses into therapeutic care, they appear to be efficiently managed by the existing safety practices.
- The results from the study are valuable as they can help clinicians make informed decisions regarding their practice and safety protocols.
- This information also provides tangible proof to clients, healthcare team members, and third-party payers about the safety procedures and incident rates in hippotherapy.
- Such data is crucial in ensuring the safety of clients participating in hippotherapy.
Cite This Article
APA
Peters BC, Fields BE, Erdman EA.
(2020).
Hippotherapy Practice and Safety Patterns in the United States: A Descriptive Survey Study.
J Altern Complement Med, 26(8), 743-749.
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2020.0039 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Sciences, Temple Grandin Equine Center, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Institute for Physical Therapy Education, Widener University, Chester, PA, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Equine-Assisted Therapy / standards
- Horses
- Human-Animal Bond
- Humans
- Movement
- Patient Safety / standards
- Physical Therapy Modalities / organization & administration
- Physical Therapy Specialty
- Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data
- Safety Management / standards
- Treatment Outcome
- United States
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