Hospital Trial Shows Healthcare Workers Prefer Uniforms with TorTex Fabric Powered by 37.5® Technology
HealthTextiles, a leading innovative manufacturer that combines the latest technologies with heritage craftsmanship for world-class production of PPE, today revealed the results of a hospital and elderly care wear test in Portugal.
Conducted with a multidisciplinary team at Hospital de Cantanhede and elderly care facility Domus Vida Parede Residences, the HealthTextiles uniforms passed the wear test with distinction, with 73% of the surveyed healthcare workers preferring uniforms with TorTex fabric powered by 37.5® Technology compared to their current cotton/poly uniforms.
“It was very positive to be able to participate and contribute to this action that considers the well-being and comfort of healthcare professionals, and confirm the comfort provided by the new uniform,” said one of the surveyed physiotherapists.
The uniforms were tested by 43 professionals from all areas of healthcare — including nurses, doctors, psychologists, operational assistants, and therapeutic technicians. The uniforms were considered “very comfortable, practical to dress and undress and, above all, with an enhanced measure of contact safety, thanks to the TorTex fabric’s antibacterial and antiviral properties.” As a result, 3 out of 4 testers preferred TorTex uniforms over their current uniform.
The incorporation of 37.5 Technology into the TorTex fabric, resulted in strong and statistically significant differences (p<0.05) for wear comfort across all key comfort criteria. The TorTex fabric with 37.5 Technology effectively handled moisture challenges to maintain a drier, more comfortable temperature feel. As moisture amplifies discomfort (making hot feel hotter and cold feel colder), keeping the fabric dry leads to greater comfort, less distraction and more satisfaction for the wearer, especially over long shifts.
“We were very pleased with the scientific integrity of this hospital test and the results confirmed the comfort claims of 37.5 Technology in the advanced TorTex fabric,” says Alan Lekan, Senior Applications Devlopment Engineer for 37.5® Technology.
Seven comfort criteria were evaluated in rating TorTex uniforms against the hospital and healthcare centre’s current uniforms.
Wear-Test Highlights:
Overall Wear Comfort
The TorTex uniform was strongly preferred over the current uniform for overall wear comfort.Moisture Sensation
The TorTex uniform was preferred for maintaining a drier, more comfortable feel.Speed of Drying if Wet
The TorTex uniform showed a faster recovery to a dry/comfortable state if becoming wet from inside perspiration or external spills.Temperature Feel
The TorTex uniform maintained a more comfortable and ideal ‘temperature feel’ reducing overheating in warm environments while also better maintaining ideal temperature feel in cooler environments such as A/C.
The benefits of greater comfort can go beyond comfort by reducing the impact of external (environmental/climate) stresses in support of the workers’ overall health and focus, especially during high-stress times of working long shifts during a pandemic.
” We appreciate that we could conduct the wear test of our healthcare uniforms with TorTex powered by 37.5® Technology at these facilities as part of the EIT Health Bridgehead project,” says Tomas Persson, owner of HealthTextiles. “This is not only important for us but also for Portugal, showing that innovation can occur everywhere in the EU. It is a great success that we could do the wear test during a pandemic situation.”
The wear test follows recent verification of TorTex’s antiviral capability, with SGS Biosafety Laboratory confirming that TorTex fabrics can reduce the risk of H1N1 infection by 20x compared to standard fabrics, with 99.9% of the virus unable to infect a patient or healthcare worker after two hours with TorTex.
Interviews may be coordinated upon request. Copies of the certification documents, scientific studies, research, photographs, and graphics are available.
About HealthTextiles
HealthTextiles is a leading Swedish manufacturer with a mission to save lives and decrease costs for the healthcare sector by developing innovative new healthcare uniforms and textiles. Offering unique anti-bacterial uniforms with Swedish quality and design, their uniforms can be found in hospitals, health clinics and care homes across Europe, with the company set to expand globally in 2021. HealthTextiles is supported by EIT Health.
Contact:
Tomas Persson, CEO
info@healthtextiles.com
+4672 730 20 81