Reducing pain and anxiety in the blood collection unit: the impact of the child-friendly design

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to examine the effect of a child-friendly design on the pain and anxiety levels during blood draw in children aged 1–3 years and the satisfaction levels of their parents toward the environment in which they receive health care services. Methods: The nonrandomized study was conducted with 158 children aged 1–3 years and their parents. Data were obtained with the “Personal Information Form,” “Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) Pain Scale,” “Visual Analog Scale (VAS) Anxiety Scale,” and “Parental Satisfaction Scale-VAS.” Data were collected from the control group before the design and from the intervention group after the design. Results: During the blood draw, the VAS Anxiety score of the children in the intervention group was 3.17 ± 1.44 and that of the control group was 7.00 ± 2.51 (t = 246.500, p < .001). The FLACC score was 3.94 ± 1.65 in the intervention group and 7.32 ± 2.51 in the control group (t = 915.000, p < .001). The mean satisfaction scores of the parents in the intervention group for the environment where they received health care were 10.00 ± 0.00, and those of the parents in the control group were 4.85 ± 1.68 (test = −11.561, p < .001). Conclusion: The child-friendly design effectively reduced children’s pain and anxiety levels during blood draws and increased parents’ satisfaction with the environment in which health care was received. Practical Implications: Implementing a child-friendly design in blood collection units is recommended to alleviate the pain and anxiety associated with children’s blood draws, thereby enhancing parental satisfaction with the care provided.