Development and Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Patient Gowns for Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery

Brief Summary

Traditional hospital gowns fail to protect patient privacy due to their design features, restrict freedom of movement and are incompatible with medical equipment. This situation negatively affects both patient satisfaction and the quality of care. The limited number of studies addressing this issue in the literature highlights the unique value of the topic. This project will be conducted with a randomized controlled design to develop a functional and ergonomic hospital gown suitable for clinical requirements for patients undergoing abdominal surgery and to evaluate its effectiveness. During the design process, priority will be given to privacy, ease of mobilization and integration with medical devices. The study first plans to produce a prototype of a cotton fabric apron. Technical modeling will be conducted in collaboration with the Department of Textile and Fashion Design at Bahçeşehir University; the prototype will then be evaluated for clinical suitability. In the second phase, an experimental study will be conducted at Medicana Hospital in Ataşehir, Istanbul, to assess the apron's effectiveness. The sample size was determined using power analysis to include 86 patients in each of the control and intervention groups, for a total of 172 patients, and 14 healthcare professionals will participate in the study. Patient and healthcare professional identification forms, along with patient apron evaluation questionnaires, will be used as data collection tools. The study consists of five main work packages: (1) obtaining the necessary permits and registering the research, (2) selecting materials and determining fabric properties, (3) technical modeling and design work, (4) patient trials, and (5) data analysis. Interdisciplinary collaboration will be maintained throughout the process, and the final model will be developed through iterative prototyping and pilot trials. The widespread impact of the project is expected to increase the quality of clinical care by enhancing the comfort and safety of surgical patients, facilitating the workflow of healthcare professionals and promoting sustainable textile usage. In addition, the commercialization of the developed product has the potential to make an economic contribution to the domestic textile sector.