June 25, 2024
Hippotherapy and Oncology? The IOR – Romagna Oncology Institute presents the scientific study of the ISACCO project. Animal-Assisted Therapies (formerly Pet Therapy) – A New Horizon for Oncology Treatment. The center for integrative medicine In.Con.Tra. and Dr Assunta Papa are pleased to announce a Rehabilitation Medicine event in the field of Alternative Therapies that theRomagna Oncology Institute (IOR) will dedicate to Animal Assisted Interventions (IAA), an innovative and increasingly recognized therapeutic practice in the Italian healthcare sector.
On 29 June 2024, from 9.00 to 13.30, at the Prime Center in Cesena, the Study day entitled “4-legged therapies”. The event represents an important opportunity for discussion on the state of the art of Pet Therapy in Italy in Oncology field with the presentation of double-blind scientific studies with a particular focus on successful experiences in the use of the Dog and the Horse to support the improvement of the quality of life of Oncology Patients in the post-chemotherapy phase.
The Conference represents the final event of a project, called ISACCO, aimed at patients affected by breast cancer and young people affected by tumors of the lymphatic systemwith the aim of recovering psychophysical well-being thanks to the involvement of the horse. Every participant was able to use it for free of 24 rehabilitation sessions and the entire course of study lasted 3 years, involving approximately 30 patients.
Furthermore, the appointment aims to be an event of sharing results with professionals and the sector press.
The importance of the Conference can be summarized as follows:
- Important for the strictly scientific nature of the study that will be presented. Worthy of note, in fact, are i blood and behavioral values of the patients who participated in the Isacco project from a zero time to an intermediate and then final time (T0, T1, T2) at six months for each participant. Few – to date – studies that can boast this approach.
- Important because this study is aimed at a population normally excluded from Animal Assisted Interventions (formerly Pet Therapy) which are generally applied to patients with mental and neuromotor deficits, while the Romagna Oncology Institute strongly wanted to take charge of the Oncology patients. The study therefore aims to evaluate the well-being that animals bring not only in psychological but also neuro-psychological terms.
- Important for collaboration with one public reality such as that of the Romagna Oncology Institute because it signals the “political” will of the Institutions towards an innovative path of support for people suffering from oncological diseases. Furthermore, the involvement of multiple hospital structures in the regional territory identifies the study such as multicenter mapping. This aspect is also very rare within the IAA in Italy.
The conference sponsored by the IOR on 29 June 2024 has the ambition not only to represent a moment of synthesis of the work carried out in the last three years within the ISACCO project, but also to be able to offer a replicable model for all operators e institutions on the national scene. Participants will be able to learn about the latest research and therapeutic approaches and attend practical demonstrations of Assisted Interventions with Dogs and Horses, organized in collaboration with the Dog Galaxy dog center. The event will see the participation of experts from the health and social care sector, in particular Dr. Romina Rossi of the University of Bologna and AUSL of Romagna, scientific director of the project and Dr. Assunta Papa, TAA project manager and technical manager of the Isacco staff.
Biographical notes
Dr. Assunta Papa is a pioneer in the application of Animal Assisted Interventions in Italy. Her senior thesis was one of the first in the country to explore the benefits of pet therapy, a practice she has modernized and expanded through her tireless work. For over 30 years you were the Medical Director of one of the first “Hippotherapy” centers in Rome which welcomed disadvantaged people from both a psychological and neuromotor point of view. She has always been one of the most popular trainers in IAA in Italy for professional training courses.
Event information:
– Date: June 29, 2024
– Hours: 9.00 – 1.30
– Location: Prime Center, Via San Cristoforo 4200, Cesena
– Entrance: Free upon registration
For information and registration:
Organizational secretariat: Silvia Fontana, Prime Center – [email protected];
Tel. 0547 1938016
