Students from the Parsons School of Design have worked with hospital clothing company Care+Wear to create a patient gown that provides coverage, while also allowing doctors necessary access to the body.

Developed by students at the New York design school last year, the gown combines five designs for different patient needs – IV access, maternity, telemetry, bariatric and bedridden.

Made from a breathable blend of cotton and polyester, the wrap-style gown features a shielding pleat at the back for lower body access, while a system of easy-to-fasten ties and snaps on the inside and outside of the gown allow for partial exposure on both sides of the body.

The wide sleeves with four plastic snaps provide clinicians with easy access to the upper arms for the insertion of an IV, and
two snaps at the top back area of the neck allow for upper-back access.

The side pockets can be used to store the patient's own personal items while monitoring devices can be attached via a front pocket.

The final gown was selected from a number of prototypes that were produced by the students during the course last year.

As the most successful prototype, the five-in-one gown was selected to be developed and introduced into the marketplace with the help of Care+Wear – a hospital clothing company founded in 2014 with the goal of producing functional and fashionable garments.

"Our company was founded on the promise to improve the patient experience," said Care+Wear Co-Founder and CEO Chaitenya Razdan. "When you visit a healthcare institution, your experience begins the second you’re told to put on a hospital gown."

"By partnering with Parsons and working together with patients and clinicians, we knew that we could create a better version of what's available so that patients are protected and have a sense of dignity while they undergo treatment," he continued.

The light blue gown was designed and developed in conjunction with patients, fashion designers, nurses, doctors, hospital leaders and laundering experts who provided advice and feedback during all stages of the design process.

Lucy Jones and Brittany Dickinson led the class, helping the students to create gowns that would ensure the comfort and dignity of patients in the hospital while also encouraging them to consider the garment's lifecycle from production to transport, storage, user experience, laundering and disposal.

"This course was entirely unique in that it gave students a real-world design project that would help solve a pressing issue, and actually go into mass production," said Burak Cakmak, dean of fashion at Parsons School of Design.

"The Parsons curriculum is focused on teaching students systems-based, user-centric design strategies that can affect real change in the world, and we are proud to partner with Care+Wear on this vital initiative," he continued.

Also aiming to improve patient experience, Design Academy Eindhoven graduate Alissa Rees developed an intravenous system that can be worn, giving those in hospital more freedom to move around.