AAMI Foundation Awards ECRI Grant to Research Safety, Effectiveness of Isolation Gowns
Retrieved on:
Wednesday, August 16, 2023
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Aug. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ECRI, the nation's largest independent patient safety organization, has been awarded a $80,000 grant from The AAMI Foundation to investigate the significance of isolation gown barrier penetration and identify ways to improve the protective features for healthcare workers and patients.
Key Points:
- Isolation gowns are personal protective equipment worn by healthcare workers to protect themselves and their patients by providing a barrier to fluid and particulate contamination.
- In 2022, ECRI listed disposable gowns with insufficient barrier protection a Top 10 Health Technology Hazard.
- Subsequent research conducted in ECRI's independent laboratory indicated that fluid can pass through the isolation gown's protective barrier, potentially contaminating the wearer.
- Steve Campbell, executive director of the AAMI Foundation, said the Foundation is pleased to support the research, which was selected by a Research Review Committee from several applications received this year and approved by the AAMI Foundation Board of Directors.