Nonwovens Markets
A tale of two markets.
A survey of disposables versus reusables in hospitals
BY
Maria Elisabete Cabeço Silva
Universidade do Minho (Portugal)
EDANA´S 2003
NONWOVENS SYMPOSIUM
A TALE OF TWO MARKETS: A SURVEY OF DISPOSABLE VERSUS REUSABLE
PRODUCTS IN HOSPITALS
by
M. J. Abreu1, M. E. Silva1, L. Schacher2, D. Adolphe2
1
2
Department of Textile Engineering, Universidade do Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Textiles de Mulhouse, Université d´Haute
Alsace, France
2
Introduction
Portuguese and French universities have been involved in an extensive study within these two
countries relating a survey of the use of disposable and reusable products in Portuguese and
French hospitals.
We compare between the employments of this type of products in this two countries with the
help of a survey realised during 2001.
Regarding Portugal we can compare the results obtained with a previous study carried out in
1996 during the development of a master thesis (1) that focused on disposable textiles used in
the healthcare sector.
National enquiries have been carried out about the use of disposable versus reusable products
and concluded that private hospitals use more disposable, independently of the ratio
price/quality.
Some results of the survey will be presented and the analysis show that a significant
agreement of the consumption of these products exist in both countries, made possible by the
exchange of experiences between two foreign - portuguese and french - universities.
Another goal of this study is the clarification of the impact of disposable and reusable
products showing the pattern of consumption of both options, because of the competition
between disposable and reusable products. The penetration of the disposable market varies
across Europe. It is higher in North of Europe and lower in South of Europe. Though, the
market is tending to disposables and the penetration is growing (2).
Studying the gain and loss of market share of disposable and reusable products yields a very
telling measurement of strategy, indicating the companies to follow the trend of the hospitals
or making more publicity and eliminate preconceived ideas from the medical staff (comfort
during use vs. protection) and purchase department (price vs. quality).
In France exists a central organisation – the Union des Groupements d´Achats Publics
(UGAP) – that performs most of the public purchase for hospitals, the rest is being made
directly by the hospitals.
In Portugal, provision of medical products is provided by approved dealers and made directly
by the hospitals. There is no significant loyalty, because the price is the most important factor
of purchase. (3)
Survey of the use of disposable and reusable products
We launched the data collection phase, simultaneously in Portugal and France, in March 2001
and finished it in September of the same year, based on the survey realised in 1996, with
some improvements that we considered important to optimise hospital response and to
minimise the impartiality many surveys can introduce to market research (4).
In 1996, were used interview strategies and test surveys in the local hospital, to test them for
efficacy and accuracy. This proceeding was introduced also for the french survey in 2001.
The Table I, designates the number of hospitals inquired during the period of the survey.
Country/Year
Portugal
France
1996
2001
89
169
-
83
Table I
3
Graph 1, indicates the number of public and private hospitals inquired.
169
180
Number of hospitals
160
140
116
120
100
80
53
60
83
45
38
40
20
89
85
4
0
Private Hospitals
Public Hospitals
Portugal 1996
Portugal 2001
Total
France 2001
Graph 1
Graph 2, shows the number of public and private hospitals response.
56
Number of hospitals
60
50
36
40
40
38
32
30
16
20
10
19
13
2
0
Private Hospitals
Public Hospitals
Portugal 1996
Portugal 2001
Total
France 2001
Graph 2
The Table II designates the number of hospitals that response during the period of the survey
and the ratio between the numbers of inquired and the number of responds.
Country/Year
Portugal
Public Hospital
Private Hospital
Total
France
Public Hospital
Private Hospital
Total
1996
Ratio (%)
2001
Ratio (%)
36
2
38
42
50
43
40
16
56
34
30
33
-
Table II
13
19
32
29
50
39
4
Hospitals (%)
The majority of the hospitals that answered the survey in 2001 (Graph 3), in both countries,
has around 101-250 beds
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
43,80
35,70
19,60
15,70 16,10
15,60
14,30
12,50
12,50
9,30
3,10
0-50
51-100
101-250
251-500
501-1000
1,80
> 1000
Number of beds
France
Portugal
Graph 3
The public hospitals have the biggest hospitals, with the larger amount of number of beds
(Graph 4).
In the range of 101-250 beds there exist more public hospitals in Portugal (Graph 4), in
comparison with France (Graph 5), where there exist more private hospitals in the same
range.
Number of hospitals
Portugal
25
20
15
14
10
5
0
3
5
4
4
0-50
9
6
51-100
101-250
8
2
251-500
1
501-1000
Number of beds
Private Hospitals
Graph 4
Public Hospitals
> 1000
5
Number of hospitals
France
15
5
10
5
0
9
2
1
2
3
3
0-50
51-100
101-250
2
1
251-500
501-1000
4
> 1000
Number of beds
Private Hospitals
Public Hospitals
Graph 5
The most important materials in the hospitals are the woven and nonwoven products.
The consumption of woven products is decreasing in portuguese hospitals (Graph 6 and 7)
and the nonwoven products are increasing slightly.
The surveys reveal that the tendency of portuguese hospitals is to use both of the materials,
increasing considerably.
Portugal 1996
Both
32%
Woven
61%
Nonwoven
7%
Graph 6
6
Portugal 2001
Woven
23%
Nonwoven
9%
Both
68%
Graph 7
In France (Graph 8), the nonwoven products have one quarter of the market and tendency to
increase.
France 2001
Nonwoven
33%
Both
0%
Woven
67%
Graph 8
Graph 9, point out that in France, the use of nonwoven is more significant than in Portugal.
Here we have to draw attention to the fact that in the french survey we didn’t mentioned the
option “both”, being the consumption of the materials distributed only in woven and
nonwoven materials.
7
80
Material used (%)
70
68
67
61
60
50
40
33
30
32
23
20
7
10
9
0
Woven
Nonwoven
Portugal 1996
Both
Portugal 2001
France 2001
Graph 9
The private hospitals have the largest percentage of the use of nonwoven in France (Graph 10)
and Portugal (Graph 11).
The consumption is higher in France (57%) in contrast with Portugal (19%) in the private
hospitals.
France
120
Material (%)
100
80
43
60
40
20
87
57
13
0
Private Hospitals
Public Hospitals
Nonwoven
Graph 10
Woven
8
Portugal
120
Material (%)
100
80
50
75
60
40
31
20
19
20
5
Private Hospitals
Public Hospitals
0
Nonwoven
Woven
Both
Graph 11
The percentage of use of nonwovens is increasing in the totality of the hospitals (Graph 12).
The french hospitals are using more this type of material, than the portuguese hospitals.
80
75
Nonwoven (%)
70
60
50
40
48
33
20
32
28
30
14
16
13
10
4
14
8
7
4
0
0-20%
20-40%
40-60%
Portugal 1996
Portugal 2001
60-80%
0
4
80-100%
France 2001
Graph 12
The most common areas of use of nonwovens (Graph 13), in both countries, are the operating
theatre. In Portugal the use in the nurseries and medical offices are increasing and decreasing
in the operating theatre. In France exist the same behaviour, except for the nurseries, were
nonwovens are not much in use.
9
120
Hospitals (%)
100
80
96
80
62
54
60
38
40
13
20
21
30
26
13
2
10
0
Operating
Theathre
Nursery
Portugal 1996
Medical offices
Portugal 2001
Others
France 2001
Graph 13
Conclusions
The surveys show a significant agreement of the consumption of these products in Portugal
and in France.
The majority of the hospitals that answered the survey, in both countries, have around 101250 beds.
The public hospitals have the biggest hospitals, with the larger amount of number of beds.
In the range of 101-250 beds there exist more public hospitals in Portugal, in comparison with
France, where there exist more private hospitals.
In Portugal the use of nonwoven increased between 1996 and 2001. In France the value is
stable and we forecast an increase in both countries.
The private hospitals have the biggest percentage of the use of nonwoven - disposable
products. In french hospitals the use of nonwoven is more relevant than in portuguese
hospitals.
Private hospitals use more nonwoven disposable products, independently of the ratio
price/quality.
The nonwoven is used mostly in the operating theatre (surgical gowns and drapes), hence it is
increasing also in the nurseries and medical offices, because of the risk of infection from
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B.
Acknowledgement
The Science and Technology Sub-Programme from the European Community – PRAXIS
XXI (F.C.T.), supported this study.
References:
1
Araújo Marques, M. J., “Contribuição para a definição de propriedades de materiais
têxteis hospitalares descartáveis”. Master Thesis, September (1997).
10
2
Fapomed, S. A.; “Market Study“.
Portugal, (1998).
3
Cabeço Silva, M. E., Oliveira, C., Marques Abreu, M. J., Coelho, A., Ferreira, L.,
Cabeço Silva, A. A., Gonçalves, I.; “STERITEX Project”. Jornadas de Inovação,
Portugal, (2001).
4
Barella Miró, A.; “Estadistica Aplicada”. Spain, (1982).