Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit has unveiled a new hospital gown, cleverly named the “Model G,” which wraps around and snaps in the front and along the shoulder like a robe. That drafty exposed back is an issue of the past.
“Our No. 1 goal with this design was fixing the backside of the gown — patients’ biggest complaint — while still allowing the health care team full access to the patient,” Michael Forbes, a product designer at the hospital’s Innovation Institute, said in a statement.
On Wednesday, those involved in the gown design announced plans for Michigan-based Carhartt to make 35,000 for use at Henry Ford Health System’s six hospitals and 29 medical centers in the state. They’re also ready to license it to other manufacturers for use by other hospitals.
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Although this is a new design being implimented in a new hospital, this is definitely not the first time fixing a backless gown has been addressed.
PatientStyle has been making cozy, pajama-like hospital gowns with an extra panel for coverage in the back since 2010. They even rolled out a special modesty gown for Muslim patients. Just last month the product was introduced at Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae, Calif.
“These new gowns are a true investment in patient satisfaction,” says Marin General Hospital CEO Lee Domanico, according to a press release. “While it’s crucial to invest in the most effective treatments and technology, it’s equally important to show our patients we care about their comfort and dignity.”
PatientStyle gowns are also in use at Stanford Medical Center, Emory University Hospital, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and Mayo Clinic.
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Back in 2010, Cleveland Clinic CEO Toby Cosgrove set up a collaboration with none other than famed wrap-dress designer Diane von Furstenberg. She agreed to help redesign some gowns that not only concealed patients backside, but had a little bit of fashion flare to them.
It looks like pretty soon the embarrassing backless, papery hospital gowns could be a thing of the past.