Kickstarting the Adoption Process of Reusable Surgical Gowns in Healthcare: Expectations, Evaluation and Factors That May Influence Healthcare Professional’s Willingness to Wear Reusable Gowns

Purpose: Health organizations play a critical role in society, but they also contribute significantly to global carbon emissions. This study examines the adoption of reusable surgical gowns to reduce operating room waste and emissions.

Methods: Two surveys (n_A = 146 and n_B = 55) and a pilot test in two Belgian university hospitals (Antwerp and Ghent) are conducted to assess operating room healthcare professionals’ (HCP) willingness to reuse (adoption intention), and how expectations and evaluation can influence the adoption of reusable gowns. A between-subject design compared perceptions of HCP without recent experience with reusable gowns (HCP A) and participants in a wearing test (HCP B).

Results: It was found that participants of the pilot test had greater adoption intention than HCP without recent experience. Moreover, HCP with higher expectations about reusable gowns were also more willing to adopt. Misconceptions about reusable gowns being old-fashioned or inferior were common among those unwilling to adopt. Currently, HCP have lower expectations about reusable gowns compared to the disposables in use, in terms of trust in protection, comfort and usability. However, participants of the pilot test evaluated their trust in protective properties higher than what HCP without wearing the gown had initially expected.

Conclusion: Information campaigns on reusables in healthcare and educational insights on their safe use can improve perceptions about reusable gowns as a safe and high-quality alternative. This study’s findings may guide legislative efforts and hospital managers to promote sustainable healthcare practices. Fostering bottom-up readiness among HCPs may influence the hospital’s procurement process. Additionally, further improving the design of reusable products can optimize the user satisfaction.