Choosing a gown sounds simple until you’re the one making the purchase decision. How do you pick one that feels good for patients, still gives medical staff the access they need, and fits your facility’s budget over time?
Choosing a good hospital gown involves more than comparing fabric or price. Coverage, sizing, washability, durability, and day-to-day practicality also matter. When a facility gets those details right, the result is a gown people can actually wear with less fuss, and staff can use without unnecessary slowdowns.
Comfortable to Wear
A common complaint among patients is that hospital gowns don’t feel good to wear. Cheap, low-quality options can be stiff, scratchy, and unpleasant against the skin, but that doesn’t mean every gown feels bad by default. Ones made of soft fabric, with breathable construction, can be quite cozy, much like a pair of pajamas!
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities should look for gowns made from soft materials like cotton and polyester blends. These fabrics feel gentle against the skin and allow better airflow. Additionally, snaps, ties, and buttons should be easy to fasten, stay secure, and avoid digging into the skin.
Proper Coverage
You’ll also hear that patients find hospital gowns embarrassing to wear. This is most commonly attributed to the “peekaboo panel” in the back, which can leave patients feeling exposed. While that opening is there for a purpose, which is to give medical staff easier access during exams and treatment, and will be present in most available hospital gowns, you can help patients feel less self-conscious by making sure the gown has adequate coverage everywhere else.
The gown shouldn’t slip over the patient’s shoulders due to a neckline that’s too wide. The hem should provide enough length for better coverage while walking or sitting. The side openings shouldn’t leave too much of the body uncovered. Typically, having a wide range of sizes and cuts available for patients will solve most coverage issues.
Wide Size Range
On the topic of sizing, it’s important for healthcare facilities to have a wide size range available. This, of course, helps with coverage issues. But other reasons to have size variety include patient comfort, safer movement, and a better fit during exams and treatment. Some common problems patients run into fit-wise include:
- Bariatric patients may find standard gowns too tight through the chest, arms, back, or hips.
- Patients with larger breasts may deal with pulling or gapping across the front.
- Very thin patients may find that oversized gowns hang too loosely and shift out of place.
- Taller patients may not get enough length for proper coverage.
- Shorter patients may have extra fabric that bunches up and gets in the way.
- Patients with broader shoulders or longer arms may feel restricted through the upper body.
Having a range of sizes available helps facilities accommodate real patient needs instead of forcing every patient into the same fit. A better size selection can reduce pulling, slipping, gapping, and bunching, which helps patients feel properly covered and more comfortable while wearing the gown.
Color And Design Options
Sure, one could argue that color and design options aren’t that important. When a patient is receiving life-saving care or medical treatment, you’d think the last thing they care about is how attractive the gown they’re wearing looks.
Still, most hospital gowns are incredibly plain, with dull colors and basic patterns, if they have any design at all. Colorful, appealing gowns have one important benefit, which is improving patient morale. A brighter design can be a small thing that cheers them up while they’re dealing with illness, discomfort, or a long stay.
Easy Access for Medical Staff
Healthcare facilities should think of the patients when selecting hospital gowns, but they also need to think of the medical staff caring for said patients. Hospital gowns serve a practical purpose, which is to allow these professionals easier access to a patient’s body for treatment. But if the gown is designed in a complicated or convoluted way, that can defeat their entire purpose.
Generally, the simpler the design, the easier it’ll be for your staff to work efficiently. Avoid gowns that have awkward fasteners or unnecessary layers. This can slow staff down when they need to perform routine tasks like examinations, vital checks, or IV access. While in most cases, this will be nothing more than an inconvenience, delays can sometimes interfere with time-sensitive care or slow down the response to a patient whose condition is getting worse.
Easy to Wash
Hospital gowns need to be easy to clean. Gowns naturally accumulate sweat, body oils, spills, and other bodily fluids during a patient’s stay. Before that gown is passed on to another patient, it needs to be completely sanitized. If it can’t be cleaned properly, then it’s not safe to reuse, as it could pass on germs or other contaminants. Hospitals need to make sure the gowns they’re purchasing are high quality and easy to launder.
Durable
A gown that falls apart after repeated washing can become a financial burden to a hospital incredibly quickly. When a gown tears, frays, or loses its shape, it becomes impossible to reuse for the next patient and needs to be replaced. The hospital then needs to purchase more gowns to replenish its stock. More durable gowns may cost more upfront, but will save a facility money over time because they’ll be able to withstand frequent laundering and regular patient use before needing replacement.
Cost-Effective
Gowns need to be high-quality, yes, but they also need to be cost-effective. Healthcare facilities often need to purchase hundreds or thousands of these gowns at a time. While they may be reasonably priced individually, together, the total cost adds up. Hospitals should carefully consider their budget and what they can afford to spend per gown. Some medical apparel suppliers will offer discounts for facilities that purchase in bulk, which can help drive down costs on nicer gowns.
A Better Gown Serves Everyone
At the end of the day, a good hospital gown needs to perform well in real healthcare settings. Hospitals need gowns that are comfortable, practical, easy to clean, durable, and reasonably priced for large-volume purchasing.
If you need hospital gowns for your facility, Assisted Living Store has options in a variety of sizes, including bariatric styles. Our gowns come in fun, colorful designs that feel more inviting compared to plain, standard options. They’re made of high-quality, comfortable materials, but they aren’t overpriced. Thanks to our bulk, wholesale pricing, you can stock your facility without stretching your budget. Shop now!