Preparing for Needlesticks and Procedures
A needlestick poke or procedure may cause children of any age to experience pain or anxiety. Because we care about your child's physical and emotional health, we have developed The University of Michigan Poke Program. This program helps reduce the pain and fear surrounding needlestick pokes and uncomfortable procedures.
Our Poke Program wants to make your child as comfortable as possible while undergoing procedures or pokes. You and your child will have a voice in determining how a poke or procedure will be carried out. You’ll be asked to fill out a Poke and Procedure Plan which tells us how your child responds to pain and discomfort. It also provides you with individual choices to help lessen your child's pain and reduce their concern.
By offering your child control through asking their opinion, listening to their answers, and teaching them coping skills, we hope to make each needlestick poke and/or uncomfortable procedure a more positive experience.
For patients and families,we encourage you to download the Poke and Procedure Plan for inpatients or the Poke and Procedure Plan for outpatients and bring the completed plan with you on your next visit to one of our hospitals or clinics. You may also download the Poke Program overview for more information about the program.
We are committed to partnering with you and your child for the best possible experience at the University of Michigan Health System.
For questions or more information, please email Poke-a-Dot at: UMHS-PokePlanNotice@med.umich.edu
For non-U-M hospitals and providers wishing to use the Poke Program materials or concept:
We welcome our colleagues to adopt a model similar to the UMHS Poke Program. By using any of the materials or content related to our Poke Program, you agree to accept the license and terms of use established for use or modeling of the UMHS Poke Program.
