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Distraction-in-Action
A tool that helps parents understand their child's risk for distress during needle stick procedures, and coaches them through it.
70% of children have a fear of needles
For many, they never get over it. 26% of adults have refused immunizations because of their fear of needles. Healthy, normally developing children go through more than 20 immunizations before age 6, and another 20 by the time they turn 18.
As part of a multidisciplinary research team at The University of Iowa, we developed the Distraction-in-Action Tool (DAT) to help parents understand their child's risk for distress during needle stick procedures and give them the resources to be an effective distraction coach. Young children go through many needle sticks as part of routine health maintenance, and kids with health problems need even more for diagnostic testing and treatment. Even a routine exam can turn into a distressing episode after one bad experience, and repeated exposure compounds an already common fear. Despite research supporting interventions for needle sticks in children, it remains undertreated.
For the past 20 years, our team has researched the most effective techniques for reducing children's distress during these procedures by training parents to coach their kids through distraction. The DAT identifies a child's risk for distress (the DistrEstimate) before an IV insertion. The parent answers 16 questions, then hands the device to the child, who answers 6 more. Combined, those responses generate a prediction of the child's expected distress for the upcoming procedure.
The DAT also provides an evidence-based training video on distraction coaching, and suggests distraction strategies tailored to the individual child. Using the DAT decreases child pain, anxiety, and distress with painful procedures. It also increases parent participation and decision making, and helps clinicians allocate personnel and pharmacological resources appropriately by identifying which children are most at risk for distress.
Try it outThe team
- Ann Marie McCarthy, PhD, RN, FNASN, FAAN, Associate Dean for Research at The University of Iowa College of Nursing
- Kirsten Hanrahan, DNP, ARNP, CPNP-PC, Director of Nursing Services at The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
- Charmaine Kleiber, PhD, RN, FAAN, Associate Professor Emeritus at The University of Iowa College of Nursing
- Ben J. Miller, PhD, Alumnus of The University of Iowa College of Education