Reducing Pain and Needle Anxiety During Blood Draws: What New Research Shows

For many patients, the thought of having blood drawn is accompanied by two concerns: Will it hurt, and how anxious will I feel? Needle fear and procedural pain can make blood collection stressful for patients and can sometimes make healthcare procedures more difficult.

Researchers continue to investigate ways to improve the patient experience without relying exclusively on medication. Recent research has examined several approaches, including virtual reality, cold and vibration devices, and a technique described as “Flying Needle” phlebotomy. These approaches are not replacements for proper phlebotomy technique or established clinical practices. Instead, they represent areas of research into how healthcare professionals may be able to make needle procedures more comfortable.

Why Does Needle Anxiety Matter?

Needle-related procedures can cause pain, fear and anxiety, particularly among children. A patient’s previous experiences can also influence how they respond to future procedures. For healthcare professionals performing blood collection, understanding that patients may be nervous can be an important part of providing a positive experience. That has led researchers to investigate non-pharmacological approaches that can be used alongside routine care.

1. Virtual Reality as a Distraction

Virtual reality, or VR, is one of the more widely studied approaches to reducing discomfort and anxiety during needle procedures. The idea is relatively simple: instead of focusing entirely on the procedure, the patient becomes engaged with an immersive visual or interactive experience.

A 2026 umbrella review examined 11 meta-analyses involving 49 unique primary studies on VR during needle-related procedures. The researchers found that existing meta-analyses generally suggested reductions in pain, fear and anxiety among children. However, they also found substantial variation between studies and rated the overall certainty of the evidence as very weak. That distinction is important.

VR appears promising as a distraction tool, but current research does not establish it as a replacement for established approaches to pain or anxiety management.

2. Cold and Vibration

Another area of research involves combining external cold and vibration during venipuncture. Devices that use these approaches are designed to provide sensory stimulation around the area of the needle procedure. The goal is to reduce the patient’s perception of pain.

Research published in 2025 examined cold and vibration during venipuncture in children between ages 2 and 7. The study included 130 children and found that the cold, vibration and combined cold-and-vibration groups experienced less pain and resistance behavior than the control group. The combined approach performed better than vibration alone.

Another randomized trial involving children age 7 and older also found reductions in pain and certain physiological responses with cold and vibration. However, the researchers did not find evidence that the approach reduced anxiety or improved cooperation. This illustrates why individual studies should be interpreted carefully. A technique may reduce pain without necessarily reducing anxiety.

3. The “Flying Needle” Technique

A newer technique attracting attention is known as “Flying Needle” painless phlebotomy. A 2026 study published in Scientific Reports examined the technique in 600 outpatients at Xiamen Humanity Hospital in China. Participants were divided into an experimental group using the Flying Needle technique and a control group receiving conventional phlebotomy. Researchers evaluated pain, fear, satisfaction, adverse events, hemolysis and phlebotomy success. The study reported more favorable outcomes for the Flying Needle group, including lower reported pain and greater patient satisfaction.

However, this is still an emerging area of research. The study was conducted at a single hospital, the participants were treated in China, and the trial was not prospectively registered. That means the findings are interesting, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that the technique has become a standard of care for phlebotomy.

How Techniques Change Patient Experience

One goal of phlebotomy is to obtain a quality specimen while providing an appropriate patient experience. Research into distraction, sensory stimulation and improved venipuncture techniques may eventually give healthcare professionals additional tools for managing patient discomfort and anxiety. However, the evidence varies considerably between techniques, patient populations and study designs.

For example, current research provides encouraging findings for VR and cold-and-vibration approaches, but researchers continue to identify limitations in the available evidence.

What Does This Mean for Future Phlebotomists?

Emerging research highlights an important part of modern phlebotomy: the job is about more than collecting a blood specimen. Phlebotomists interact directly with patients, including people who may be nervous about needles or have had difficult experiences with blood draws in the past.

Developing strong technical skills is essential, but communication and patient interaction are also important parts of the profession. As new technologies and techniques emerge, phlebotomists may have more tools available to help create a comfortable and efficient blood collection experience.

The Future of Patient-Friendly Phlebotomy

Virtual reality, cold and vibration, and techniques such as Flying Needle phlebotomy demonstrate how researchers are continuing to look for ways to improve blood collection. Not every emerging technique will become standard practice, and more research is needed to understand which approaches work best for different patients and clinical situations.

For phlebotomy students and professionals, however, staying aware of new research is one way to understand how the profession continues to evolve. The future of phlebotomy may involve not only new equipment and technology, but also new approaches to making one of healthcare’s most common procedures more comfortable for patients.

Interested in starting a career in phlebotomy?

Training is an important first step toward developing the knowledge and hands-on skills needed to enter the field. Visit Project Heartbeat’s Phlebotomy course page to learn more about how to start your career today!