There’s a new kind of health care provider joining the medical team — one that has a coat, but not the kind you may be thinking of.
They don’t carry clipboards, prescribe medication or log into electronic health records — but they just might make the biggest difference in a patient’s day. Service dogs are now formally recognized as more than just feel-good companions. They’re vital members of the health care team.
New guidelines published in JAMA, aligned with the Americans with Disabilities Act, known as ADA, spell out the role of service animals in medical settings. Hospitals and clinics must accommodate service animals in nearly all public areas — waiting rooms, inpatient units, even cafeterias. The only places off-limits are those where sterility is essential.
Not sure how to identify a service dog? If the dog’s role isn’t obvious, staff can only ask two questions:
- Is the dog required due to a disability?
- What specific task has it been trained to perform?
There are important boundaries. The animal must be under the handler’s control or responding reliably to voice or hand commands. Healthcare staff aren’t required to supervise or care for the dog. Only dogs qualify as service animals — unless you’re a miniature horse that meets specific ADA criteria.
I’ve seen the impact firsthand. Once, I opened a hospital room door to find a nurse frozen in place — not because of fear, but because a service dog had quietly stationed himself between her and the patient, standing guard like a furry bodyguard.
Another time on an airline flight, I helped a passenger during a medical emergency. When I returned to my seat, the flight attendant decided to move the patient and her service dog next to me, yet the dog commandeered my aisle seat — looking quite pleased with his comfort plus upgrade. I took the middle seat. I’m pretty sure he also got my pretzels.
In a world of technology and burnout, dogs offer what medicine sometimes forgets: presence, protection, and emotional connection. And that, my friends, is one prescription we could all use.