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

Charlotte Harding,1 Ingrid Moons,1,2 Gunter De Win,3,4 Els Du Bois1 1Department of Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; 2Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium; 3Department of Urology, University Hospital Antwerp, Edegem, Belgium; 4Antwerp Surgical Training, Anatomy and Research Centre (ASTARC), Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumCorrespondence: Charlotte Harding, Department of Product Development, University of Antwerp, Paardenmarkt 94, Antwerp, 2000, Belgium, Email [email protected]: 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 (nA = 146 and nB = 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.Plain Language Summary: Hospitals and other healthcare organizations are important for our well-being, but they also create a lot of waste. One way to reduce this waste is by using reusable products, like surgical gowns. This study looked at how healthcare professionals feel about using reusable surgical gowns. The researchers: 1) Asked healthcare professionals in the operating room to fill out a survey; 2) Carried out a wearing test where healthcare professionals wore reusable surgical gowns during their shift; 3) Asked the participants of the wearing test to fill out a survey.Here is what they found:People who wore the gowns were more likely to want to use them again.If healthcare professionals expected the gowns to be comfortable and protective, they were more open to using them.Some people who had not tried reusable gowns thought they were old-fashioned or not as good.After trying them, many healthcare professionals trusted the gowns more than they expected to.Sharing clear information and giving people the chance to try reusable gowns can help change opinions. Better design of reusable products can also make them more comfortable and easier to use. These steps can support a shift toward more sustainable choices in healthcare. Keywords: survey research, adoption process, trialability, reusable surgical gowns, reusable products, circular economy