About

The Problem

Do you like needles? Me neither.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jackson and I am a family physician in Canada. Despite being a doctor myself, even I try not to look when I get vaccines or bloodwork.

The fear and anxiety that people feel around needles can be a huge barrier to seeking healthcare. Needle fear impacts millions of people worldwide with some surveys putting rates at over 50% of children and 30% of adults. Needle fear also negatively impacts healthcare workers as it can make procedures more difficult and healthcare workers don't enjoy being a source of fear for their patients.

Strategies that solely target the pain from needles are incompletely effective for 2 main reasons

Pain-based solutions typically act on the skin but a significant source of the pain from needles comes from tissues deeper than the skin
Needle fear does not stem from pain alone but from a more complex interplay of anticipation, past experiences and anxiety

I often find that many people are relieved by the actual injection of the needle as it means that all of that anticipatory fear and anxiety is over. If I had a nickel for every child who stopped crying immediately after the injection, I would not be here on Kickstarter.

The Solution

I have found that the single most effective strategy for targeting needle fear is not looking at the needle and not seeing the insertion. For adults this may sound easy to do - why would you look at the needle as it approaches you? Unfortunately we all have a bit of morbid curiosity and we succumb to temptation for that quick peak which can trigger our fear response. For children it is even harder - trying to hold your child, distract them and prevent them from looking at the approaching needle is nigh impossible. If only there was something blocking the view of the incoming needle and the subsequent insertion - this is how NeedleNice was born. The idea for NeedleNice developed while I was working in the mass COVID vaccine clinics, vaccinating thousands of adults and children.

NeedleNice is a light, folding, reusable, over-the-shoulder visual blocker that targets needle fear at the source. It has been tested on both adults and children. There are even clinical studies cofirming that not looking at needles during injections reduces fear.

NeedleNice has changed the way I manage needle fear in my clinic and I would love to be able to give parents and healthcare workers access to this simple and effective tool.

It's even nephew approved, Canada's highest certification.