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E-textiles in healthcare, a new policy brief

A new E-Textiles Network policy brief sets out how e-textiles can improve patient care, the barriers to adoption and what policy should do next.

By WearNex 3 min read

E-textiles in healthcare could let patients benefit from wearable technology simply by getting dressed. That is the starting point of The role of e-textile wearables in healthcare, a new policy brief from the E-Textiles Network that WearNex founder Michael John Lynch contributed to. It sets out where e-textiles can improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs, what is stopping them, and what policy should do about it.

Why e-textiles in healthcare matter

Wearables such as fitness trackers and smartwatches can monitor vital signs, sleep and physical activity to help detect health issues early. The global market for medical wearables was valued at $45 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $151.8 billion by the end of 2029. Yet existing wearables are rigid devices suited to limited body locations such as the wrist, and they need frequent recharging. Some users find them uncomfortable, so patient adherence remains a primary challenge.

E-textiles integrate sensing and therapeutic functions into everyday clothing. Sensors can sit at any position in a garment and can be built invisibly into the fabric, so they are virtually imperceptible to the wearer. That gives a comfortable, familiar and convenient platform that improves adherence and the quality of the data captured.

Where e-textiles can make a difference

The brief finds that e-textiles outperform traditional wearables in several areas.

Wireless patient monitoring. E-textiles can continuously monitor several vital signs at once, including respiration rate, the hardest vital sign to measure and the one most associated with patient deterioration.
Treatment at home. Monitoring outside clinical settings supports the hospital at home and early discharge, potentially saving over £3,000 per patient.
Reducing health inequality. Technology embedded in everyday clothing suits all ages, avoids stigma and simplifies how people engage with it.
Smart PPE. Facemasks have been adapted with respiration sensors and sensors that improve the fit.
Therapies. Textile electrodes can apply electrical stimulation for rehabilitation and pain relief, and smart bandages can treat wounds with ultraviolet light.

Many of these ideas depend on smart garment development that keeps the technology comfortable and washable.

Barriers and recommendations

The brief is clear that good research alone is not enough. E-textiles still rely on bulky rigid batteries. New medical devices need the right approvals, such as MHRA approval for clinical investigation and UKCA marking in the UK. Translating research into mass-producible products needs input from across the supply chain and designs suited to automated manufacturing. Clinical e-textiles must also survive laundry at 70 to 98°C, and circularity and end-of-life processing must be considered from the start.

Its recommendations include making e-textiles part of the strategy for wearables in healthcare, focusing first on respiration rate monitoring, building in sustainability, and supporting the transfer of innovations from universities into product development. The brief notes this would also support the UK textile and garment manufacturing industry, which has over 10,000 enterprises, over 90,000 employees and an annual turnover of £9.4 billion.

About the brief

The findings come from E-Textiles Network workshops on healthy ageing, healthcare, and PPE and workwear, attended by over 180 professionals from academia, industry and healthcare, together with interviews with over 40 industry professionals experienced in wearables and e-textile production.

The contributors were Stephen Beeby (University of Southampton), Paul Chivers (PCC Sustainable Solutions), Theodore Hughes-Riley (Nottingham Trent University), Michael John Lynch (WearNex), Barbara Shepherd (Manchester Metropolitan University), Mahmoud Wagih (University of Glasgow), Anthony Wilson (Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust) and Kai Yang (University of Southampton). The E-Textiles Network brings together researchers, developers and end users such as the NHS, and is managed on behalf of the community by the University of Southampton.

Next steps

Read the full brief, The role of e-textile wearables in healthcare. Manufacturing, certification and reliability are exactly the barriers WearNex works on when turning research into products, through our e-textile product development and prototype to manufacture work. If you are developing an e-textile or wearable product for healthcare, get in touch.