This study examined the psychometric properties of a youth-reported health self-efficacy measure and new parent-reported health self-efficacy measure in a sample of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic illnesses. This study also considered whether parents' perspectives on AYAs' health self-efficacy explained outcomes above AYA-reported health self-efficacy. A sample of 54 AYAs (range = 12-17 years, M = 17.8, SD = 2.58) completed measures of health self-efficacy and treatment adherence. Parents (N = 48) reported on AYA health self-efficacy and transition readiness. Good psychometric properties were shown for both measures. Parents' perspectives predicted transition readiness above and beyond AYAs' self-reported health self-efficacy, AYA age, and AYA education. Whereas treatment adherence was significantly predicted by AYA-reported self-efficacy and did not have significantly more variance explained by parents' perspectives. Results highlight the importance of considering different perspectives to achieve optimal outcomes when treating youth with chronic conditions during transition care.

OBJECTIVE:More children with chronic health conditions are surviving into adulthood and transitioning to adult healthcare settings. To reduce poor healthcare transition outcomes, it is essential to consider predictors of readiness to transition. The current study examined whether youth-reported self-efficacy, health-related quality of life, and psychological distress were associated with parent/caregiver-reported transition readiness in a sample of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who had at least one chronic physical or mental health condition. METHODS:The sample comprised 58 AYAs (Mage = 17.74 years, SDage = 2.56, 51% assigned female at birth) and 58 parents/caregivers (Mage = 50.32 years, SDage = 7.73, 53% assigned female at birth). RESULTS:Self-efficacy was an important moderator of transition readiness for many groups of AYAs. Additionally, it was found that for older AYAs with lower psychological distress, transition readiness was significantly higher for those with higher health-related quality of life than those with lower health-related quality of life. CONCLUSIONS:The relationship between self-efficacy and transition readiness was found to be nuanced. Self-efficacy may be a suitable target for interventions designed to improve transition readiness for several AYAs with chronic health and mental health conditions.

Australian students are experiencing rising well-being concerns in line with global trends. Although schools and youth-focused community organizations are positioned as central sites of well-being promotion, little research examines how well-being is understood and supported by those working with students. This study examined (i) key factors influencing student well-being and (ii) the experiences of high school staff and youth-focused community organizations workers and volunteers in supporting well-being. Forty-two participants took part in semi-structured focus groups. Transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four factors shaped student well-being: mental health, social determinants, school safety, and social connection. Participants described three systemic challenges: fragmented systems, resource shortfalls, and escalating systemic pressures. Significant emotional burden and burnout were reported by school and community organization participants. Findings reveal a gap between well-being policy and frontline practice, highlighting the need for sustainable funding, workforce support, and stronger intersectoral collaboration to improve well-being for young people.

OBJECTIVE:Since 2008, routine psychosocial assessment of young people with chronic conditions has been recommended in Australia. However, routine psychosocial screening across Australian health settings remains varied. This study examined clinicians' perceptions about the use of the 'Home, Education/Employment, Eating, Activities, Drugs, Sexuality, Suicidal Ideation and Safety' (HEEADSSS) and digital e-HEEADSSS. METHODS AND MEASURES:Nine clinicians from an adolescent and young adult hospital clinic were interviewed. Participants met the inclusion criteria of not previously using e-HEEADSSS. Deductive coding guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0 was employed. RESULTS:Participants reported that the HEEADSSS may be favourable to the e-HEEADSSS due to rapport-building. The e-HEEADSSS was perceived to be advantageous due to timesaving and a potential increase in disclosure of sensitive or embarrassing information from youth. Concerns for the e-HEEADSSS included assessment frequency and appropriate timely escalation. Participants suggested that services should introduce the e-HEEADSSS so clinicians could choose whether to use the traditional or digital psychosocial assessment, which may allow for increased uptake and service-appropriate screening of youth. CONCLUSION:Participants who had not used the e-HEEADSSS recognised potential benefits for increasing the proportion of young people with chronic conditions to complete a psychosocial assessment screening during clinic visits.

Evidence to support adolescent and young adult health services innovations is notably lacking compared to that available for children and adults. Communities of Practice (CoPs) offer a promising avenue to support clinicians and researchers to build research capability, collaborate and exchange knowledge and resources. However, few are dedicated to adolescent healthcare. The aim of this research was to determine how to develop, support, harness and demonstrate the benefits offered by CoPs with the broader goal of supporting development of adolescent-specific research capacity and capability. An inclusive search strategy was employed to capture manuscripts describing the creation, workings and sustainability of groups sharing the core features of CoPs. Screening and review of studies was conducted using Covidence systematic review software. Core data were extracted and analysed using content analysis principles. Relevant data were identified and coded for each research question. Codes were then reviewed and amalgamated into themes. Combined searches produced 4,436 records. Title and abstract screening identified 69 potentially eligible manuscripts of which 15 were deemed eligible for inclusion. Included papers were predominantly descriptive in nature with most focussing on the early stages of CoP planning and implementation. A wide variety of CoP functions were identified alongside barriers and facilitators. Translation of CoP research into policy and practice remained largely unreported or was aspirational. This review provides insights on the evidence-based structures and processes required to support collaboration, prevent duplication, and amplify skills and knowledge within research-focussed CoPs, particularly in resource-constrained settings like adolescent healthcare.

BACKGROUND:Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) with a chronic health condition face multiple challenges as they transition from paediatric to adult healthcare. To facilitate engagement during healthcare transition, one supportive psychological skillset is health self-efficacy. Outcomes that indicate engagement during healthcare transition involve transition readiness, lower distress, quality of life and general adherence. Although researchers have examined the impact of youth self-efficacy on engagement during healthcare transition, studies are yet to examine the impact of parent-perceived self-efficacy during healthcare transition. The current study aimed to investigate how youth self-efficacy and parent-perceived self-efficacy impacted indicators of engagement during healthcare transition. METHOD:Participants were 54 AYAs and 48 parents who were recruited from The Centre for Adolescent and Young Adult Health at Westmead Hospital. Participating AYAs ranged in age from 12 to 25 years old (M = 17.74, SD = 2.56, Mdn = 17.08). Adolescents completed scales examining health self-efficacy, distress, health-related quality of life and general adherence to treatment. Parents completed scales examining AYAs' health self-efficacy and transition readiness from paediatric to adult healthcare. RESULTS:Uniquely, findings have demonstrated that parent-perceived self-efficacy holds most value in predicting transition readiness. Conversely, youth self-efficacy holds most value in predicting general adherence. CONCLUSION:Both perspectives hold great importance for different outcomes. To promote successful healthcare transition and general adherence, self-efficacy interventions that involve AYAs and parents would be beneficial.

Introduction The Westmead Centre for Adolescent and Young Adult Health is a purpose-built facility supporting integrated care for young patients with a variety of long-term health conditions transitioning from paediatric services at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead to adult services at Westmead Hospital, Australia.Methods and analysis This protocol outlines a prospective, within-subjects, repeated-measures longitudinal cohort study to measure self-reported experiences and outcomes of patients (12–25 years) and carers accessing transition care at the Centre for Adolescent and Young Adult Health. Longitudinal self-report data will be collected using Research Electronic Data Capture surveys at the date of service entry (recruitment baseline), with follow-ups occurring at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and after transfer to adult services. Surveys include validated demographic, general health and psychosocial questionnaires. Participant survey responses will be linked to routinely recorded data from hospital medical records. Hospital medical records data will be extracted for the 12 months prior to service entry up to 18 months post service entry. All young people accessing services at the Centre for Adolescent and Young Adult Health that meet inclusion criteria will be invited to join the study with research processes to be embedded into routine practices at the site. We expect a sample of approximately 225 patients with a minimum sample of 65 paired responses required to examine pre–post changes in patient distress. Data analysis will include standard descriptive statistics and paired-sample tests. Regression models and Kaplan-Meier method for time-to-event outcomes will be used to analyse data once sample size and test requirements are satisfied.Ethics and dissemination The study has ethics approval through the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network Human Research Ethics Committee (2021/ETH11125) and site-specific approvals from the Western Sydney Local Health District (2021/STE03184) and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network (2039/STE00977). Patients under the age of 18 will require parental/carer consent to participate in the study. Patients over 18 years can provide informed consent for their participation in the research. Dissemination of research will occur through publication of peer-reviewed journal reports and conference presentations using aggregated data that precludes the identification of individuals. Through this work, we hope to develop a digital common that can be shared with other researchers and clinicians wanting to develop a standardised and shared approach to the measurement of patient outcomes and experiences in transition care.

Objectives: Government policies that support the health and wellbeing of young people (aged 10 to 25) can have important individual and societal impacts. The aim of this study was to explore policy actor perspectives on the development and implementation of Australian government policies focussed on the health and wellbeing of young people. Methods: We utilised a qualitative research design consisting of semi-structured interviews with policy actors with experience working with Australian youth health policies. Our interview guide and analyses were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We interviewed 19 participants from various national, state, and territory bodies. Results: Several specific barriers and facilitators to policy development and implementation were identified using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Key policy development barriers were limited available resources (e.g. staffing and funding) and low relative priority within health and political systems. Key policy implementation barriers were limited available resources, limited policy compatibility with health services, cosmopolitanism issues related to interagency collaboration, and a lack of policy evaluation. Meaningful engagement of Conclusions: Although Australian youth health policies are perceived as evidence-based and comprehensively developed, the ability to Implications for Public Health: The development of policy implementation plans, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, funding and resources, and a strong commitment to removing barriers to working across multiple departments and systems is required to improve outcomes for young people.

BACKGROUND:The main causes of morbidity and mortality for adolescents and young adults are preventable and stem from psychosocial and behavioural concerns. Psychosocial assessments can help clinicians to identify and respond holistically to risks and strengths that may impact upon a young person's physical and mental health. Despite broad support at a policy level, the implementation of routine psychosocial screening for young people remains varied in Australian health settings. The current study focused on the pilot implementation of a digital patient-completed psychosocial assessment (the e-HEEADSSS) at the Sydney Children's Hospital Network. The aim of this research was to evaluate patient and staff barriers and facilitators to local implementation.METHODS:The research used a qualitative descriptive research design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted online with 8 young patients and 8 staff members who had completed or actioned an e-HEEADSSS assessment within the prior 5 weeks. Qualitative coding of interview transcripts was carried out in NVivo 12. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research guided the interview framework and qualitative analyses.RESULTS:Results demonstrated strong support for the e-HEEADSSS from patients and staff. Key reported facilitators included strong design and functionality, reduced time requirements, greater convenience, improved disclosure, adaptability across settings, greater perceived privacy, improved fidelity, and reduced stigma for young people. The key barriers were related to concerns over available resources, the sustainability and continuity of staff training, perceived availability of clinical pathways for follow-up and referrals, and risks related to off-site completions. Clinicians need to adequately explain the e-HEEADSSS assessment to patients, educate them about it, and make sure that they receive timely feedback on the results. Greater reassurance and education regarding the rigour of confidentiality and data handling procedures is required for patients and staff.CONCLUSIONS:Our findings indicate that continued work is required to support the integration and sustainability of digital psychosocial assessments for young people at the Sydney Children's Hospital Network. The e-HEEADSSS shows promise as an implementable intervention to achieve this goal. Further research is required to determine the scalability of this intervention across the broader health system.

Background Multiple theories, models and frameworks have been developed to assist implementation of evidence-based practice. However, to date there has been no review of implementation literature specific to adolescent healthcare. This integrative review therefore aimed to determine what implementation science theories, models and frameworks have been applied, what elements of these frameworks have been identified as influential in promoting the implementation and sustainability of service intervention, and to what extent, in what capacity and at what time points has the contribution of adolescent consumer perspectives on evidence implementation been considered. Methods An integrative design was used and reported based on a modified form of the PRISMA (2020) checklist. Seven databases were searched for English language primary research which included any implementation science theory, model or framework developed for/with adolescents or applied in relation to adolescent healthcare services within the past 10 years. Content and thematic analysis were applied with the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) used to frame analysis of the barriers and facilitators to effective implementation of evidence-informed interventions within youth health settings. Results From 8717 citations, 13 papers reporting 12 studies were retained. Nine different implementation science theories, frameworks or approaches were applied; six of 12 studies used the CFIR, solely or with other models. All CFIR domains were represented as facilitators and barriers for implementation in included studies. However, there was little or no inclusion of adolescents in the development or review of these initiatives. Only three mentioned youth input, occurring in the pre-implementation or implementation stages. Conclusions The few studies found for this review highlight the internationally under-developed nature of this topic. Flagging the importance of the unique characteristics of this particular age group, and of the interventions and strategies to target it, the minimal input of adolescent consumers is cause for concern. Further research is clearly needed and must ensure that youth consumers are engaged from the start and consistently throughout; that their voice is prioritised and not tokenistic; that their contribution is taken seriously. Only then will age-appropriate evidence implementation enable innovations in youth health services to achieve the evidence-based outcomes they offer. Trial Registration PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020201142 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=201142

Background Effective integration of evidence and youth perspectives into policy is crucial for supporting the future health and well-being of young people. The aim of this project was to translate evidence from the Access 3 project to support development of a new state policy on youth health and well-being within New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Ensuring the active contribution of young people within policy development was a key objective of the knowledge translation (KT) process. Methods The KT activity consisted of a 1-day facilitated forum with 64 purposively sampled stakeholders. Participants included eight young people, 14 policy-makers, 15 academics, 22 clinicians or managers from NSW health services, four general practitioners and one mental health service worker. Research to be translated came from the synthesized findings of the NSW Access 3 project. The design of the forum included stakeholder presentations and group workshops, guided by the 2003 Lavis et al. KT framework that was improved by the Grimshaw et al. KT framework in 2012. Members of the Access 3 research team took on the role of knowledge brokers throughout the KT process. Participant satisfaction with the workshop was evaluated using a brief self-report survey. Policy uptake was determined through examination of the subsequent NSW Youth Health Framework 2017–2024. Results A total of 25 policy recommendations were established through the workshop, and these were grouped into six themes that broadly aligned with the synthesized findings from the Access 3 project. The six policy themes were (1) technology solutions, (2) integrated care and investment to build capacity, (3) adolescent health checks, (4) workforce, (5) youth participation and (6) youth health indicators. Forum members were asked to vote on the importance of individual recommendations. These policy recommendations were subsequently presented to the NSW Ministry of Health, with some evidence of policy uptake identified. The majority of participants rated the forum positively. Conclusions The utilization of KT theories and active youth engagement led to the successful translation of research evidence and youth perspectives into NSW youth health policy. Future research should examine the implementation of policy arising from these KT efforts.

BACKGROUND:The health and wellbeing of young people are critical for the future of society but the extent to which they are addressed by overarching Australian Federal, State and Territory health policy is difficult to determine. Analysing high-level youth health policy will help establish how Australian governments are articulating and prioritising issues and may guide local and international health agendas.METHODS:This scoping review aimed to determine the extent, range and nature of Australian high-level government policy focused on the general health and wellbeing of the general population of young people. Policies published by Australian Federal, State, or Territory government departments between 2008 and 2019 were thematically analysed employing Braun and Clark's six-step recursive framework.FINDINGS:Twelve policy documents met inclusion criteria. Three meta-themes emerged, comprising policy development, youth health challenges, and policy goals. Policy goals fell into three ubiquitous and overarching categories focused on supporting public health, promoting equity, and improving the health system for young people.CONCLUSIONS:A number of youth-specific health policies have been developed by Australian governments in recent years. Whilst goals and strategies are clearly articulated, more can be done to ensure a youth voice in policy development. The policy goals of supporting public health, promoting equity and improving the health system deserve consideration from other countries developing youth health policies.

TransfusionVolume 61, Issue 10 p. 2809-2812 CLINICAL RESEARCH FOCUS Guiding the development and implementation of interventions in transfusion medicine: The intervention mapping protocol Amanda Thijsen, Corresponding Author Amanda Thijsen athijsen@redcrossblood.org.au orcid.org/0000-0002-3310-2703 Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Correspondence Amanda Thijsen, Level 3, 17 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria, New South Wales 2015, Australia. Email: athijsen@redcrossblood.org.auSearch for more papers by this authorDaniel Waller, Daniel Waller Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Masser, Barbara Masser orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-6497 School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorTanya E. Davison, Tanya E. Davison Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Monash Art, Design and Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author Amanda Thijsen, Corresponding Author Amanda Thijsen athijsen@redcrossblood.org.au orcid.org/0000-0002-3310-2703 Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Correspondence Amanda Thijsen, Level 3, 17 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria, New South Wales 2015, Australia. Email: athijsen@redcrossblood.org.auSearch for more papers by this authorDaniel Waller, Daniel Waller Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorBarbara Masser, Barbara Masser orcid.org/0000-0001-9385-6497 School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Brisbane, Queensland, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this authorTanya E. Davison, Tanya E. Davison Clinical Services and Research, Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Monash Art, Design and Architecture, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, AustraliaSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 August 2021 https://doi.org/10.1111/trf.16632Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Volume61, Issue10October 2021Pages 2809-2812 RelatedInformation

This paper addresses volunteer labor markets where the lack of price signals, nonpecuniary motivations to supply labor, and limited fungibility of supply lead to market failure. To address the causes of the market failure, we conduct a field experiment with volunteer whole blood donors where we introduce a market-clearing mechanism (henceforth: the Registry). Our intention-to-treat estimates suggest that subjects invited to the Registry, regardless of joining, are 66% more responsive to critical shortage appeals than control subjects. While the Registry increases supply during a critical shortage episode, it does not increase supply when there is no shortage; thus, the Registry significantly improves coordination between volunteer donors and collection centers, thereby improving market outcomes. We find evidence that the Registry’s effectiveness stems from crowding-in volunteers with purely altruistic motives and volunteers with a preference for commitment. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, decision analysis.

BACKGROUND:Each year, a large number of individuals in Australia are deferred from donating blood. A deferral may have a negative impact on donor satisfaction and subsequent word-of-mouth communication. The Australian Red Cross Blood Service (the Blood Service) is, therefore, investigating options for managing service interactions with deferred donors to maintain positive relationships. While public research institutes in Australia have established independent research donor registries, other countries provide programmes allowing deferred donors to donate blood for research via blood collection agencies. This study examined attitudes towards donating blood for research use in a sample of permanently deferred Australian donors.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Donors permanently deferred because of a risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (n=449) completed a postal survey that examined attitudes towards research donation.RESULTS:The majority of participants were interested in donating blood for research (96%), and joining a registry of research donors (93%). Participants preferred to donate for transfusion or clinical research, and were willing to travel large distances. Results indicated that positive attitudes towards the Blood Service would be extended if the opportunity to donate blood was provided. These findings indicate a desire for continued engagement with the Blood Service despite deferral.DISCUSSION:Donating blood for research is a potential way of maintaining positive relationships with permanently deferred donors which also benefits the health research community. Through maintaining positive relationships with deferred donors, positive word-of-mouth activity can be stimulated. Further work is needed to determine the feasibility of implementing research donation through the Blood Service in Australia.

BACKGROUNDFrequent blood donors are an important resource as they contribute many donations over their lifetime. The aim of this research was to develop a demographic profile of Australian frequent whole blood donors and to determine predictors of lapse within this group.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSRoutinely collected data were used to profile individuals who had donated whole blood frequently (three or more times) between December 2010 and November 2011. Two segments were identified: 1) existing donors who had donated before December 2010 and 2) new donors who had not donated before December 2010. Donation records were followed to the end of December 2013 to examine retention.RESULTSA total of 90,867 donated frequently between December 2010 and November 2011. The group was composed of slightly more men (51.4%), was typically of middle socioeconomic status, and many were employed in skilled trades such as a builder or a plumber (21.3%). Existing donors (n = 81,762) were significantly older, more likely to be male, and more likely to have a D– blood type compared to the smaller group of new donors (n = 9105). For both segments, being older and male and having a D– blood type increased the likelihood of return in the follow‐up period. Deferrals and adverse events had negative impacts on retention for both groups.CONCLUSIONSThis study highlights specific factors that blood collection agencies may focus on to support continued donation among frequent donors.

BACKGROUNDMany nondonors are positive about blood donation and this motivates booking an appointment to donate. However, as their appointment approaches barriers to donating—such as anxiety—may become salient and deter attendance. Building on research of France and colleagues demonstrating the positive effect of enhanced preparation materials on donor recruitment, this study sought to determine whether these materials could effectively boost first donation appointment attendance.STUDY DESIGN AND METHODSA field study comprising a 3 (brochure: none, e‐mail, hard copy) × 2 (national call center [NCC] contact: none, call) between‐subjects design was conducted with 3646 nondonors who had scheduled their first appointment. Participants in the brochure conditions received either a hard copy or an e‐mailed link to electronic materials modeled on the donor preparation research of France and colleagues. Participants in the NCC call condition also received a call scripted in line with these preparation materials. The key outcome was new donor attendance rate.RESULTSAlthough first‐appointment attendance rates were high in the control (no additional contact) condition at 85.07% of those not canceling in advance, dual exposure to the preparation materials through a NCC call and an electronic brochure boosted attendance. The relative risk of attending in the NCC call and electronic brochure condition was 1.0836 (95% confidence interval, 1.0352‐1.1343; p = 0.0006), with attendance 8.36% higher than in the control. This gain in attendance came at a relative increase in recruitment costs of 2%.CONCLUSIONThe use of tailored communication to address new donors' concerns and prepare them for donating bolsters attendance rates.

Research demonstrates that anxiety elevates the risk of blood donors experiencing adverse events, which in turn deters the performance of repeat blood donations. Identifying donors suffering from heightened state anxiety is important to assess the impact of evidence‐based interventions. This study analyzed the appropriateness of a shortened version of the state subscale of the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in a blood donation context.

Background: Vasovagal symptoms have implications for donor safety and retention. This study explored knowledge, attitudes and practices in donors experiencing a vasovagal reaction.Materials and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with donors (n = 30) who experienced a donation-related vasovagal reaction.Results: Donors were unaware of applied muscle tension or fluid loading techniques despite availability of information. Some donors engaged in excessive pre-donation hydration. Procedural knowledge was limited for first-time plasma donors.Discussion: Future interventions should focus on adherence to pre-donation fluid loading and muscle tensing exercises during key donation time-points. Education for new plasma donors also appears important. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background and objectivesVein visualization technology (VVT) devices use near‐infrared light to assist location of peripheral veins. The current study investigated the impact of VVT on donor experience and collection success for young blood donors at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service.Materials and MethodsThe study in donors aged 18 to 30 years used a two intervention to one control randomized trial design with 285 new and 587 returning donors recruited at two sites. Donors reported presyncopal symptoms, phlebotomy pain, anxiety and intentions to redonate along with other measures. Participating phlebotomists rated usefulness of the technology. Flow rates, collection volumes and other donation information were taken from routine data.ResultsNo significant differences were found between control and intervention groups on presyncopal symptoms, phlebotomy pain, anxiety, intentions to redonate, flow rates, collection volumes or vasovagal reactions (all P's > 0·05). Phlebotomist ratings of VVT were significantly more positive when they had less than 5 years of experience (P < 0·01) or when the vein was not visible to the naked eye (P < 0·01).ConclusionsResults suggest that VVT does not improve the donation experience for younger blood donors. Staff reports indicate that VVT may have some utility for assisting with difficult phlebotomies.