- There are many aspects that go unnoticed by health professionals and the importance of your clothing is one of the main ones.
- Medical clothing not only fulfills the function of transmitting safety to patients but also protecting doctors.
- Choosing the right garments helps reduce nosocomial infections.
Among the most vital—yet most neglected—elements of the healthcare industry is the medical clothing. Little is said about it and the importance it has in the daily life of professionals in the sector. It is not only about the image that is transmitted to patients but also about the relevance it has for their own safety.
With this in mind, the Dr. Carolina HernandezCEO and founder of Colorchain, says that technically doctors know what microorganisms they are exposed to on a daily basis but tend to forget that they are exposed.
In fact, Colorchain carried out a study with more than 100 high-performance doctors who wear mayo suits (a set made of polypropylene, with a V-neck blouse and flared pants), and found that only 30% recognize the lack of security of the medical locker room as a serious problem.
This, added to the existing evidence that this factor may contribute to 10 out of 100 patients in low- and middle-income countries suffering from healthcare-associated infections, should make us think very differently about the importance of quality of medical clothing and its technology.
“This has been the product of years of conforming to what institutions supply us or to the limited options we find in stores. To understand how many healthcare professionals are faced with this reality, our study found that 80% buy their medical clothing on their own. This means that when looking for clothes, most have to resort to stores stocked with items that meet few or no quality standards.”
The pandemic was a stop on the road for this issue. At that time, the importance of wearing uniforms that protect doctors—especially those who work in direct contact with patients in hospitalization, emergencies, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU)—and additional personnel, such as services and administration, was highlighted. But as time goes by, this culture of global care has been forgotten.
This is the time to create an adequate space to talk about what no one has prioritized yet, seeking to achieve a true and decisive change: We must define what a specialized medical clothing and redefining industry standards for proper fit and better garment construction.
Know what to look for when looking for specialized medical clothing
He medical locker room It must be developed hand in hand with technology and ergonomic use to meet the needs of those who work in the industry. These must have, as a minimum, repellency to fluids, control of microorganisms, elasticity and breathability, among other characteristics to guarantee the safety and well-being of whoever wears it. In today’s market, most medical garment suppliers do not manufacture their products with many of these elements.
Medical clothing must respond to the different needs of health personnel. Many of these are general to the trade, but it is necessary to know the user intimately to recognize where the use of each type of professional differs. In addition, it must be understood that health professionals behave like high-performance people, with continuous and strenuous physical activity—like those who go through those shifts of up to 36 hours that seem endless.
For example, in a hospital in Salvador it was reported that 68% of the nurses who did not wear a uniform with proper insulation suffered needlestick accidents. This is one of the biological risks that can be minimized by using medical clothing with greater specific protection for this position, among other sanitation practices.
Also, how many times have you bought uniforms that don’t fit your body well, but had to make do? If we perceive the medical locker room As an indispensable instrument of protection and not as a regular outfit, we will understand that using generic designs and sizes is not the right thing to do. For this, you have to resort to brands that personalize their product for each client.
For a manufacture of medical locker room truly specialized, companies in the sector must be vertically integrated—managing all processes from design to manufacturing and distribution, and having a better understanding of a physician’s needs. In the best of cases, they must make their garments to order and tailored to each professional, taking into account the styles, colors, appropriate sizing and necessary ergonomic characteristics. Physicians and institutions seeking providers should target brands with these practices.
Embrace a culture of global care
“We must think about the medical wardrobe as a whole, approaching it with a more technical and expert vision, including the aesthetic and fashion aspects that reaffirm the specialized and altruistic status of these professions. Although it may seem obvious, let’s remember that protecting ourselves is also protecting patients and other people in medical environments. This is what is defined as the culture of global care”.
This applies to all types of health professionals, since none of their work environments is free of contamination. What’s more, a study revealed that already used hospital gowns can carry up to 80 types of bacteria, without considering that this figure may have changed after the pandemic. According to established standards, the limit should be three bacteria per gown. This points to a lack of awareness when we misuse our clothing, in addition to have little antimicrobial technology.
Therefore, it is vital to reinforce the use of specialized medical clothing, seeking to meet the requirements to meet the real needs of the sector and mitigate its impact on the general population. We must advocate for generating new and better quality standards and, through a culture of global care, protect each worker and patient, their immediate environment and the environment in which they operate on a daily basis.
Reconsider the standards and apply regulations for a better preparation and wearing of medical clothing
When we talk about achieving a culture of global care, we must understand it from the regulatory aspect. This is achieved with safety policies in health environments that respond to the current challenging conditions of the sector, thus reinforcing the standards for the use and manufacture of specialized medical clothing.
During the pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared in a statement to governments and managers in the health sector that security policies must be established for all those involved in this industry. This included personal protective equipment, as medical clothing should be called.
This same initiative should be maintained even though the risk of COVID-19 has decreased and one of the main factors is the use of clothing with adequate protection. The call is also for Latin American governments, for example, to restrict the sale of parts without antifluids. Likewise, they should promote the local and sustainable development of textile and manufacturing technologies that adequately respond to needs such as antimicrobial protection and staff comfort, among others.
On the other hand, another global problem is added that is extremely relevant to what is currently happening in the sector: The global disruption of supply chains. For this reason, it is critical to support local businesses so that they can timely supply the demand that has been outsourced to countries like China since the 1980s.
But to achieve this, we must become a competitive region and offer an even better product than what users find in imported supplies. There are already local offerings that achieve this and it is imperative to support them.
Improving the production, proper use, and culture around medical clothing is a joint effort between health professionals, garment manufacturers, regulatory institutions, and governments. In addition, it is important to redefine what we know as ‘uniform’, taking into account aspects such as sizing, performance and the correct fabric to make it. Only then can we develop garments that really protect us and ensure the safety of everyone around us.
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