Application program to prepare child/family for venipuncture: experience report.

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing
• Health Informatics
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• Venipuncture is a common but often anxiety-provoking procedure for children and families.
• Effective preparation is crucial for reducing fear and improving cooperation during medical interventions.
• Existing methods for preparing children may lack engagement and interactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development of an interactive application program designed to prepare children and their families for venipuncture.
• To evaluate the utility of the application in a pediatric healthcare context.

Main Methods:

• The application was developed through a multidisciplinary collaboration between nursing master's students and undergraduate engineering students.
• Development followed a three-stage process: client needs identification, component definition, and prototype elaboration.
• The program was designed to be ludic (playful) and interactive.

Main Results:

• The application successfully enables children to understand the venipuncture process in an engaging and interactive manner.
• The development process confirmed the feasibility of creating such a tool.
• User feedback indicated potential for improved patient and family experience.

Conclusions:

• The developed application serves as an effective tool for the care and education of children and families facing venipuncture.
• The program addresses the needs of nurses in preparing patients for the procedure.
• Multidisciplinary collaboration is vital for the successful creation of innovative healthcare education tools.