Why Every Hospital Needs an Automated Scrubs Machine

In healthcare facilities, what staff members wear goes beyond simple considerations of fashion and comfort – their attire is a vital tool. Scrubs help personnel identify themselves to patients and colleagues; they project professionalism, provide protection from contaminants, and even reduce the risk of contagions spreading. That’s a lot of work for a few pieces of fabric, but an automated scrubs machine makes it all easier.

We say this with a touch of humor, but managing scrubs is a serious undertaking that touches on every aspect of a healthcare facility’s operations – from the sheer logistics of inventory management to employee satisfaction and, most critically, maintaining high standards of hygiene.

What is a scrubs machine and how does it work?

A scrubs machine is a key element in an automated system used in hospitals and healthcare facilities to dispense and track medical scrubs. Comprising physical dispensing and return units integrated with tracking and monitoring software, the complete system provides a full-cycle garment management solution. While elements can theoretically be used individually, for best effect, all parts of the scrub inventory management system need to be in place, working in a constant cycle, like a well-oiled machine.

Key steps in the scrubs management cycle

1. Item identification – In many cases, the scrubs are tagged with RFID tags, which allows tracking of individual items throughout their lifecycle. When RFID tags are not used, the system monitors usage of scrubs by type and size. While RFID-based tracking enables the highest granularity and accuracy, both approaches enable effective inventory management

2. Clean items are placed in the distribution unit, where each staff member uses their personal ID card (or types in a code or uses a mobile app, depending on how the system is set up) to take the items they are authorized to use – that is, the specific uniform pieces they are assigned, in the right color and size. 

3. After wear, employees deposit dirty items in a return unit or cart, and an RFID reader notes their return before they are taken to the laundry, whether it is located at the hospital or provided as an external service.

4. All activity is monitored by the scrubs management software. User authorizations enable distibution of items to be controlled and tracked. 

5. And the cycle starts again. In other words: rinse and repeat.

All the data gathered along the way is updated in real time to cloud-based management software for monitoring and control. Reports can then be generated to gain a clear picture of item usage and inventory needs, at a click. Conveniently, this can be done from the dashboard of any device at any time, via the software dashboard.

4 key benefits a scrubs machine brings to hospitals and healthcare environments

Many healthcare facilities have already revolutionized scrubs management with an automated uniform management system.

That’s because the benefits a scrubs machine brings to hospitals and healthcare facilities are immense and far reaching. They touch on everything ranging from efficiency, personal experiences (of staff, management, and even patients), and even compliance with hygiene protocols and standards. 

1. Medical staff from each department has access to clean scrubs 24/7

Automated solutions take no breaks, and are available around the clock, including weekends and holidays, guaranteed. This is important to hospitals and medical clinics, which typically operate 24/7, with staff working in shifts, often with staggered timing. 

Since the system is constantly monitoring the status and whereabouts of each garment, the workwear team can easily ensure all items are in stock. The organized and efficient workflow of the system means employees always get the same great service, with no need for laundry staff to be onsite handing out uniforms. Plus, with usage thresholds in place, items in poor condition are removed from circulation, so staff are not handed shabby scrubs.

Because they are both compact enough to be placed near departments and available 24/7, automated hospital scrubs machines can be installed near or in multiple departments around the hospital. Personnel can quickly change soiled uniforms whenever needed – even mid-shift. 

2. Improved employee satisfaction 

Automated dispensing of scrubs saves staff time every day. They know clean scrubs will always be waiting. Gone are the worries of coming in early to stand in line to ensure they get what they need. Or having to make do with the wrong size pants for a shift. This goes a long way to creating a contented workforce.

For example, after a rehabilitation hospital implemented a Polytex scrubs machine solution, staff members reported higher job satisfaction as a result of the efficiency and reliability of the system. The solution also reduced stress among laundry and medical staff, who now come to work confident they will always have the right uniforms available to them. Long lines in the laundry room similarly disappeared. In the words of the Logistics and Procurement Manager: “Now there are no long queues to get uniforms each shift, everyone’s job is easier, and satisfaction has correspondingly increased.”

3. Enhanced hygiene standards 

Another significant benefit of a scrub machine for hospitals is improved hygiene throughout the facility. 

Textiles have been shown to play an important role in the acquisition and transmission of pathogens in healthcare. Likewise, healthcare workers’ uniforms are a vehicle for cross-contamination and transmission of multi-drug-resistant organisms. One study investigating the microbial contamination of scrubs worn solely in the public environment found they were significantly contaminated with dangerous bacteria on a regular basis. Another report indicated that 100% of nurses’ gowns were contaminated within the first day of use.

While it is impossible to eliminate the spread of pathogens and contagions entirely, a fully automated uniform management system can significantly reduce the risks. According to Dalia Dickman, PhD, a clinical consultant: “Automated systems that control the movement of workwear, minimize handling of clean items, and promote effective laundering practices can reduce the opportunities for cross-contamination and spread of infectious pathogens.”

4. Reduced costs 

The numerous efficiency benefits of a hospital scrub machine translate into significant cost savings. Needing fewer laundry workers already cuts expenses. Employees who don’t have to stand in line to get clean uniforms save time – and time is money.

With tagged items assigned to an individual, personal responsibility grows. Items are more likely to be returned. And since the system ensures the necessary items are available for each worker at the start of the shift, the urge to hoard is also reduced. Staff are more likely to return items rather than take them home for laundering (at best) or stash them in their lockers. This smarter approach to inventory management not only saves costs but also reduces waste, lowering the organization’s environmental footprint.

Having data-based knowledge about each item type and category prevents overstocking. Loewenstein Hospital, an early adopter of Polytex digital workwear management, was able to reduce laundry staffing from two full-time employees to one part-time manager. This reduced garment purchasing expenses by 30%.

Automated scrubs management is just what the doctor ordered

Since workwear is critical to the operations of any healthcare facility, the positive impact a scrubs machine makes is multifold. A digital workwear management system like the Polytex full-cycle solution ensures a clean and reliable process for laundering, distribution, and tracking of each item – ensuring the right set of fresh scrubs are available to each member of the team, always.

This ultimately improves efficiency, hygiene, and even staff morale, freeing up time and resources to focus on better patient care.

To learn more about the value of an automated hospital scrubs machine, contact us