Beyond the hospital gown: a systematic review of the common characteristics and design challenges of patient clothing across healthcare departments.

Introduction: Patient clothing is an essential component of healthcare delivery, influencing clinical practice, patient comfort, dignity, and overall healthcare experience. Despite extensive research on specialized hospital garments, there remains limited understanding of the common design characteristics shared across different hospital departments. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize the general and common characteristics of patient clothing across all hospital settings. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Comprehensive searches were performed across major academic databases using predefined search terms. Studies were screened according to established inclusion and exclusion criteria, and methodological quality was assessed before inclusion. Forty eligible studies were included in the final qualitative synthesis. Results: The review identified four dominant characteristics consistently shaping patient clothing across healthcare settings: clinical accessibility, standardization, infection control, and cost-efficiency. Garments commonly featured loose silhouettes, simplified construction, and open-back or multi-access designs to facilitate clinical examination and treatment. Standardized, one-size-fits-all designs supported efficient distribution, laundering, and reuse across hospital departments. However, these characteristics were consistently associated with poor fit, restricted mobility, inadequate thermal comfort, insufficient body coverage, and limited adaptability to individual patient needs. The evidence further demonstrated that patient clothing frequently overlooks psychological and expressive dimensions, with uniform designs and exposure-related issues contributing to diminished dignity, loss of personal identity, and increased vulnerability. Discussion: The findings indicate that the defining characteristics of patient clothing are remarkably consistent across hospital departments, reflecting systemic design priorities rather than department-specific requirements. While current designs effectively support clinical efficiency and infection control, they often fail to address patient-centered outcomes. Future patient clothing design should adopt a multidimensional approach that balances functional and clinical requirements with comfort, dignity, personalization, and psychological well-being to enhance the overall healthcare experience.