Preference for venepuncture site: should the patient be consulted?

A questionnaire-based study was undertaken to ascertain if patient preferences were being met in clinical practice by investigating patients' past experience of venepuncture and patient and operator preference for venepuncture site. Patients and operators expressed a preference for either the dorsum of the hand or the antecubital fossa as sites of venous access. Patients who expressed a preference for the dorsum of the hand were more likely to have received venepuncture in their chosen site, although the likelihood of venepuncture failure is higher in the dorsum of the hand than in the antecubital fossa.