Needle phobia is a serious and costly condition effecting around 1 in 5 patients. Amongst other things, it can lead to:
- Spikes in the cost of patient treatment with the cost of needle phobia strategies across all patient age groups averaging $25.81 plus doctor/nursing staff time (download brochure for details).
- Increased patient turnaround times and a costly cascade of events – Multiple cannulation attempts, haemolysed blood draws and a vasovagal episode can add 1 to 4 hours treatment time, plus gas/gas induction leading to a worst-case scenario of over $1000 in unexpected treatment costs.
- Increased risk of needlestick and other injuries to carers, such as the incident with a dirty needle that inspired the development of NeedleCalm™.
- Health care or immunisation avoidance – where sick or vulnerable individuals avoid treatment out of fear, escalating their medical condition or vulnerability and often, the extent and cost of treatment required in the future.
- An overwhelmed practitioner and a patient whose fears are compounded by yet another traumatic experience.
Advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) for the use of sedation when carrying out vaccinations states that sedatives should not be used as a “first line option” in most cases.
There are currently limited protocols for COVID-19 vaccinations under sedation for individuals with severe needle phobia or behavioural issues, and ATAGI advises that many of these procedures can be safely performed in the community using non-pharmacological techniques.
NeedleCalm™ is an award-winning medical device, designed to reduce the pain and discomfort of needle procedures for needle phobic patients and, in turn, the cost and risk of needle phobic cases for clinical facilities.
