Companion Animals and Procedural Safety in Home Hospice: A Multisite Clinician Survey

Alicja Płóciniczak, Michał Chojnicki, Wiktor Karasiewicz, Patrycja Talarska-Kulczyk, Izabela Bętkowska, Ewa Deskur-Śmielecka, Department of Laboratory Diagnostics, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Medical Biology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Nursing and Midwifery, WSG University in Bydgoszcz, Chair of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Palliative Medicine, Poznan University of Medical Sciences

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®

Published online on March 06, 2026

Abstract

American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine®, Ahead of Print.
BackgroundCompanion animals are common in home hospice and widely viewed as beneficial for patients, yet their presence may affect procedural safety and clinicians’ bedside decisions.ObjectivesTo determine whether hospice staff’s recognition of pet-...