Facts, figures, data and statistics that distributor reps can use in the field.
By Paul Girouard
Here is a quick look at the whys, what’s and where’s of the surface disinfection product segment. Included are key metrics that make this an important part of healthcare distribution and infection prevention:
The numbers
After market disruption during the pandemic, the surface disinfection product category has rebounded and is back on track to consistent growth.
- There were 10.2 billion wipes sold into the healthcare market in 2023, up 6.1% over prior year.
- In 2023 the surface disinfection market in healthcare was valued at over $557 million, up 7.4%.
- The breakdown in dollars by product type is 85% surface wipes versus 14% liquid disinfectants. This trend has been flat and is back to pre-pandemic trends.
- The largest market segment for surface disinfecting wipes is the hospital, accounting for 54% of the volume. As procedures are trending away from the hospital, so is demand. Alternate care market segments are currently at 46% and growing.
Market dynamics – the good, bad and silver lining
The was an immediate focus and heightened sense of awareness around surface disinfection both during and even after the pandemic. However, due to healthcare worker burnout and turnover rates, it is now both a challenge and opportunity to train and educate new staff on what products to use and how/where to use them.
Stock piling occurred at both the distributor and customer levels during the pandemic. There was a period where demand significantly fell off as the market depleted its excess inventory. Additionally, due to supply restrictions, there were disinfectant brands that popped up in the market that did not have proper kill claims or EPA certification. This issue has normalized and ordering patterns and demand seem to have fully rebounded.
How to estimate the demand/volume of a facility
There is not a perfect science to figuring out facility usage. Some use ADC “Average Daily Census” as a metric for hospitals to estimate wipe utilization. For non-acute facilities, particularly physician offices, the CDC recommends disinfecting the exam room after each patient, so the number of patients seen daily on average is a good metric to start with. The number of wipes used to turnover a room typically depends on the surfaces they are wiping down more frequently.
Voice of the customer
When customers are selecting a surface disinfection wipe they are typically using the criteria below:
- Compatibility
- Product Format (Canister, Liquid, Spray, etc.)
- Kill Claims
- Contact Time
- Cost/Contract Compliance
- Valued Added Services (Brackets, Training/Education, Clinical Support, etc.)
Interesting info
- Chairs harbor the highest concentration of pathogens in waiting rooms.
Source: “Survival of Influenza Virus on Environmental Surfaces.” University of Arizona, Mar. 2023.
- Inadequate disinfection can result in a 40% increase in acquiring an infection.
Source: “Controlling hospital-acquired infection: Focus on the role of the environment and new technologies for decontamination.” Dancer, S. J. (2014).
- 60% of samples collected from chair arms and environmental surfaces in LTC facilities tested positive for at least one Multidrug Resistant Organism (MDRO)
Source: “Prior environmental contamination increases the risk of acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Clinical Infectious Diseases” Drees, M., Snydman, D. R., Schmid, C. H., Barefoot, L., Hansjosten, K., Vue, P. M., & Prior, R. B. (2014)
Wash your hands!
10.2 billion
The number of wipes sold into the healthcare market in 2023.
$557 million
What the surface disinfection market in healthcare was valued at in 2023.
Up and down inventory.
Stock piling occurred during the pandemic. There was a period where demand significantly fell off as the market depleted its excess inventory, but the issue has normalized.