The study was planned as a randomized controlled experimental design to determine the effect of acupressure on anxiety, embarrassment, and procedure-related fear in patients undergoing urodynamic testing. Sample size calculation, an effect size of 0.8, which is considered a large effect, was taken as a reference. With 90% power (1-α, two-tailed), the minimum required sample size was calculated using the G*Power (version 3.1) program as 68 participants, with 34 individuals in each group (intervention group = 34; control group = 34). A post hoc power analysis will also be conducted.

Data will be collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. Individuals included in the sample will be informed about the study and the procedures to be followed, and their verbal and written informed consent will be obtained. All patients will complete the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. After the forms are completed and recorded, participants will be assigned to either the intervention or control group according to the randomization schedule.

In the intervention group, acupressure will be performed by a certified researcher (GB) who has completed acupressure training. The acupressure points to be used include Shen Men (HT7), located in the small depression between the pisiform and ulna bones on the transverse wrist crease; EX-NH3, located at the midpoint between the eyebrows on the midline of the forehead; and Hegu (LI4), located in the web space between the thumb and index finger. These points will be marked with an acetate pen by the certified researcher (GB) in patients assigned to the intervention group, and the application will be carried out by the same researcher.

No intervention will be applied to patients in the control group, and they will receive routine care only.

All patients in both the intervention and control groups will complete the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. After completion of the acupressure application, the urodynamic procedure will be performed. Immediately after the procedure, patients in both groups will again complete the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale.

The study was planned as a randomized controlled experimental design to determine the effect of acupressure on anxiety, embarrassment, and procedure-related fear in patients undergoing urodynamic testing. Sample size estimation was informed by data published by Yanik et al. (2025), who examined the impact of pre-cystectomy acupressure on anxiety and hemodynamic parameters. The between-group effect size derived from that study immediately post-intervention (acupressure group: 2.31 ± 1.16; sham group: 5.27 ± 1.73) yielded Cohen's d = 2.009. However, this estimate was considered methodologically unrealistic and likely to overestimate the true population effect size due to the small sample size and high variability reported in the original study. Therefore, in order to ensure a more conservative and robust sample size estimation, a conventional large effect size of d = 0.8 was adopted in accordance with Cohen's recommendations. Using a two-tailed significance level (α = 0.05) and 90% statistical power, the a priori power analysis performed with G*Power (version 3.1) indicated a minimum required sample size of 34 participants per group. A post hoc power analysis will also be conducted.

Data will be collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. Individuals included in the sample will be informed about the study and the procedures to be followed, and their verbal and written informed consent will be obtained. All patients will complete the Sociodemographic Information Form, the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. After the forms are completed and recorded, participants will be assigned to either the intervention or control group according to the randomization schedule.

In the intervention group, acupressure will be performed by a certified researcher (GB) who has completed acupressure training. The acupressure points to be used include Shen Men (HT7), located in the small depression between the pisiform and ulna bones on the transverse wrist crease; EX-NH3, located at the midpoint between the eyebrows on the midline of the forehead; and Hegu (LI4), located in the web space between the thumb and index finger. These points will be marked with an acetate pen by the certified researcher (GB) in patients assigned to the intervention group, and the application will be carried out by the same researcher.

No intervention will be applied to patients in the control group, and they will receive routine care only. Before starting the application in the intervention group, the tissue around the marked points will be gently rubbed to promote relaxation. Pressure will then be applied to the marked points using the index or middle finger, creating a depth of approximately 1-1.5 cm for 5 seconds, followed by a 2-second rest. Each point will be stimulated for 3 minutes, with the total duration of the application lasting approximately 15-20 minutes.

All patients in both the intervention and control groups will complete the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale. After completion of the acupressure application, the urodynamic procedure will be performed. Immediately after the procedure, patients in both groups will again complete the Embarrassment Assessment Scale, the State Anxiety Inventory, and the Procedure-Related Fear Scale.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Who agreed to participate in the study,
• 18 years of age or older,
• Conscious, oriented and cooperative,
• No communication problems,
• Individuals undergoing invasive urodynamic procedures.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Who did not agree to participate in the study,
• Under 18,
• Conscious, oriented and uncooperative,
• Communication problems,
• Individuals who did not undergo invasive urodynamics.

During the data collection process, when patients present to the urology outpatient clinic, their eligibility for inclusion in the study will be assessed by the researcher M.B. To eliminate selection bias, block randomization will be applied. Participants will be assigned to the acupressure or control group according to permutations (e.g., ABBAAB, BABABA, etc.) in a randomization list generated by an independent biostatistician using a computer-based program.

After the randomization list is created, the assignment of groups A and B to either the intervention or control group will be determined by a lottery method. Subsequently, M.B., who will not be involved in the data collection process, will prepare sealed envelopes numbered from 1 to 68 corresponding to the sample size, each containing a letter (A or B) representing the group allocation. M.B. will open the numbered envelope and inform GB of the patient's group assignment.

All researchers other than M.B. will be blinded to the gro