Proactive PICC placement: evaluating the patient experience.

Aim: to evaluate patient experience following the proactive placement of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC).
Method: all patients with a PICC in situ who had attended the chemotherapy day unit over a period of 15 weeks were invited to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Questions related to: information giving, the degree of pain on insertion and any complications experienced by the patient while the device was in situ. There was also space to allow for free-text comments after each question.
Results: the majority of patients felt they received enough information and that the procedure was fully explained. Pain on insertion was largely reported as being minimal, with the few patients who did report the procedure as painful also reporting there being difficulty with the insertion. Complication rates were low, the main complication reported was mechanical owing to difficulty with blood withdrawal.
Conclusion: irrespective of how uncomfortable the patient found the procedure, the majority of patients would recommend proactive PICC insertion to other patients as 'it made the whole process much easier'.