3 Medical Linen Facts You Should Know

Medical linens are not only important, but essential for every medical practice to have. From sheets and pillows for hospital beds to comfortable gowns and towels for patients, linens are used on a daily basis for a variety of purposes.However, not all linens are created equal. You may be surprised to find out that there is more to learn about medical linens than meets the eye. Here are 3 medical linen facts you should know:

Medical Linen Loss is a Huge Issue

While some linen loss is bound to happen inevitably, did you know that it costs the medical industry nearly $1 billion a year? In fact, nearly 90% of all linens in U.S. hospitals don’t reach their full, useful life. Linen loss occurs for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, healthcare workers accidentally take home their scrubs. Patients, especially new parents, also take linen home because they think blankets are complimentary. Additionally, it’s common for healthcare workers to dispose of soiled linen in the wrong containers. That’s why it’s extremely important to label everything clearly and train your medical staff effectively on disposal procedures.

Just Because Linen Looks Clean, it Doesn’t Mean That it is

When it comes to medical linen, looks can be deceiving. A study conducted by the American Journal of Infection Control found that within three days of being cleaned, privacy curtains showed increased microbial contamination. Linens can look clean, but still contain harmful bacteria that can be spread to both patients and staff. In order to ensure your medical linens stay as clean as possible, follow the CDC guidelines on how to best launder them. Make sure your employees are well versed in this too, and that they take the necessary precautions to protect themselves and others from contamination.

Medical Linens Dramatically Affect Patient Satisfaction

When a patient is in the hospital, it’s important that they are as comfortable as possible. Medical linens can make or break a patient’s experience. Warm blankets, clean and fresh sheets, etc. are necessary in keeping patients satisfied and feeling well cared for. Investing in high-quality linens made with durable, long-lasting fabrics will increase your patients’ satisfaction overall. While patients may not have a lot of medical knowledge, they can easily tell if linens aren’t clean, fresh, or high quality. In short, don’t cut corners on your medical linens because your patients will notice.

FDR Services is Here to Help Your Medical Business Today!

When it comes to medical linens, there is a lot to learn. Some things we do know are that linen loss affects the medical industry severely, clean-looking linen isn’t always clean, and medical linens can greatly affect patient satisfaction overall.If your medical business is looking to improve their linens, work with a linen provider who has the industry experience and expertise necessary to give your patients the best linens possible. Here at FDR Services, we’ve been providing high-quality healthcare linen services for over 3 decades!For more information on our medical linen services, contact us today at 1-800-FDR-0097.