Examining Bluetooth Haptic Device Use for Pain and Anxiety Reduction in Vascular Access Procedures (VA+BHD)

August 16, 2026 updated by: Thomas Caruso, Stanford University
This pragmatic, randomized study seeks to evaluate the applications of a novel vibrating device for reducing pediatric anxiety and distress during vascular access procedures.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
203

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • California
      • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
        • Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital Stanford

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Between age 4-99
  • Will undergo a vascular access procedure
  • English speaking participant and parent or LAR

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Legal guardian not present to obtain consent
  • Child is unable to self-report pain or anxiety
  • Child with a significant neurological condition, or major developmental disability
  • Child with active infection of the hand or arm
  • Major surgery within the last 48 hours

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: BHD synced with mobile game
At the beginning of the vascular access procedure, the BHD will be applied 5 cm above the needle insertion site and maintained in place throughout the procedure. It delivers a constant low-frequency vibration as well as tactile feedback from the game (GF).
Behavioral: BHD synced with mobile game
The BHD delivers a constant low-frequency vibration as well as tactile feedback from the game (GF).
Other: BHD only
The participant will wear the BHD 5 cm above the needle insertion site for the duration of the procedure. The BHD will deliver constant low-frequency vibration (CF).
Behavioral: Bluetooth Haptic Device (BHD)
The BHD will deliver constant low-frequency vibration (CF).
No Intervention: Standard of Care
The participant will not receive the BHD device. Participant will receive standard of care treatment.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
External observation for pain and anxiety using OBSD-r scale
Time Frame: during vascular access procedure
OBSD-r contains 8-item scale assessing participant's affective state; Information Seeking, Crying, Screaming, Restraint, Verbal Resistance, Emotional Support, Verbal Pain and Flail.
during vascular access procedure

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
External observation for pain and anxiety using HRAD scale
Time Frame: during vascular access procedure
HRAD contains 5-item scale assessing participant's affective state; happy, relaxed, anxious, distressed, with a yes/no answer to cooperation.
during vascular access procedure
Numerical Rating Pain Scale (NRPS) for patients aged 12-17
Time Frame: during vascular access procedure
NRPS is a 11-point (0-10) Numeric Rating Pain Scale (NRPS), where 0 = no pain and 10 = worst possible pain.
during vascular access procedure
modified induction compliance checklist (mICC)
Time Frame: during vascular access procedure
The mICC score will be recorded by the trained research observers during the vascular access procedure. Perfect compliance (score of 0) was compared to those that lacked cooperation. mICC will be rated at the time of intervention and only requires one RA.
during vascular access procedure
Children's Anxiety Meter-State (CAM-S) assessment
Time Frame: immediately before, immediately after vascular access procedure
The CAM-S is completed by showing the child a picture of a mercury thermometer. This scale is measured from 1-10. Higher values indicate higher anxiety.
immediately before, immediately after vascular access procedure
Self formulated procedural satisfaction survey (Patient and Parent)
Time Frame: immediately after vascular access procedure
The survey contains 10 items and utilizes a 5-point Likert agreement scale with a score of 1 meaning "completely disagree" and 5 meaning "completely agree."
immediately after vascular access procedure
Self formulated procedural satisfaction survey (Healthcare provider)
Time Frame: immediately after vascular access procedure
The survey contains 5 items and utilizes a 5-point Likert agreement scale with a score of 1 meaning "completely disagree" and 5 meaning "completely agree."
immediately after vascular access procedure
Faces Pain Scale-Revised for patients aged 4-11
Time Frame: during vascular access procedure
Detailed qualitative review of cognitive interview probes with question-by-question analysis of transcribed cognitive interviews to assess for basic comprehension and appropriate use of the FPS-R. This scale is measured from 0-10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = very much pain.
during vascular access procedure

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Stanford University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Study Director: Thomas Caruso, MD,PhD, Stanford University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 25, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 4, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
November 4, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
January 22, 2024

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
January 22, 2024

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
January 31, 2024

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
August 16, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
August 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 73750 (Stanford IRB, old system)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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