Child Life Specialists Decrease Procedure Time, Improve Experience, and Reduce Fear in an Outpatient Blood Drawing...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Healthcare
• Child Psychology
• Medical Interventions

Background:

• Children frequently experience significant fear during medical procedures like blood draws.
• Child Life Specialists (CLS) are increasingly recognized for their role in mitigating pediatric procedural distress.
• Evidence supports CLS interventions across various healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of CLS-facilitated play on children's fear during outpatient blood draws.
• To assess caregiver satisfaction with the medical experience when a CLS is involved.
• To describe the effect of CLS interventions on procedure duration in a pediatric lab setting.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study enrolled 150 children and caregivers in an outpatient blood draw lab.
• A nonrandomized convenience sample was divided into an intervention group (n=75) and a control group (n=75).
• The intervention group received CLS-facilitated play during their blood draw.

Main Results:

• Intervention group children had shorter procedure times (median 3 min vs. 5 min; P < .001).
• Caregivers reported more positive experiences and atmosphere in the intervention group (P < .001 and P = .032, respectively).
• Children in the intervention group exhibited significantly lower fear scores (P = .007).

Conclusions:

• CLS interventions in pediatric outpatient blood draw labs effectively reduce children's fear.
• CLS support enhances caregiver satisfaction with the procedural experience.
• Integrating CLS services can improve efficiency and patient-centered care in pediatric phlebotomy settings.