Sensors placed on the right parts of the body can provide detailed, real-time information. Patients can be continuously monitored away from the hospital and if there is a warning sign, for example high blood pressure or swelling, medical professionals can be alerted. The data collected can also offer valuable insights into the effectiveness of treatments. This information can be used to develop personalized recovery plans, which can be adapted during the process without the need for check-ups. Pharmaceutical companies could also use the data to better understand how their drugs perform outside the lab. That’s the scope of sensor-based smart fashion in healthcare market or smart clothing if we may say so. Medical apparel hasn’t changed much over the years, still there are smart medical apparel companies such as Figs and Jaanuu who are early starters in this market and foresee tremendous growth in the developed market.
Patients all over the world have felt vulnerable when hospitalized, and being told to strip off and put on a pre-worn, revealing, backless gown makes many of them uncomfortable. Being escorted in this attire, often through public areas of a hospital, pretty much completes the humiliation. This market is about to see a huge change as few companies have started making a mark in this industry called healthcare fashion. This report is an amalgamation of smart clothing which can be fashionable for the patients as well as the healthcare providers (doctors and nurses).
Currently the market is worth USD 20.2 Billion (unbranded) in 2018-2019 with white spaces available all over the globe. The hospital scrub business alone is a USD 10 Billion market, worldwide. Although this is still an un-organized sector, textile has always been a part of healthcare. The number of applications range from the simple cleaning wipes to advanced barrier fabrics for operation rooms and ERs. The patient specific smart apparels or textile includes sponges, sheets, burn sheets and others. The patient management segment covers products such as under-pads, adult diapers, wipes and other cleaning clothes. The procedure specific products include sterilization wraps, surgical gowns, drapes, table covers, head and face masks/cover, scrubs, disposable bibs (infants), derma-protective towels, shoe covers, etc.
Companies such as Johnson and Johnson, Smith & Nephew, Kimberly Clark and Beiersdorf are key players in the patient specific or management segment and deal with products such as wipes, diapers, wound care products and special type of bandages. The report covers medical textile as it embraces smart technologies world-wide. Conventional textile manufacturers will have to switch sooner or later as and when the markets start adopting these technologies.
Conventional scrubs market in USA is controlled by Strategic Partners (almost 40%) and claim to make bacteria proof medical uniform. The medical apparel market is the biggest in the USA, still CDC (Centre for Disease Control) claims that one in 25 patients currently hospitalized, contracts some infection or other due to the hospital stay. Smart textile or sensor based prototypes are just emerging in the market and can be potentially commercialized in major markets in the world. The Global Medical Textile and Smart Medical Apparel Industry report from Stratview Research can help the Textile manufacturers, Healthcare IT companies identify the new technologies, prototypes and the future of such technologies and the demand in the key hospital markets across the globe.
Considering that medical textile is a massive industry which has been around for 100 years with zero change and zero innovation, the major reason behind this stagnation is that no one knows about it and no one talks about it. For people who have developed interest in this segment, this report will open new avenues and markets and showcase the growth of major markets worldwide. The report covers major markets such as USA, Canada, UK, France, Singapore, Germany and potential markets such as Japan, India, China, GCC, Russia, among others.
The market is also segmented based on the demand or service i.e. medical textile or apparel required for day care admissions, versus clinics versus complete hospitalization or different level of cleaning wipes required in Operation room versus Emergency Room versus Cath Labs. This kind of segmentation helps the manufacturers understand the pulse of the market and create products which can sell fast in the respective markets. The report intends to answer several questions which have not been touched upon due to lack of data and documentation.
