Due to the growing demand for our GripSox® (non slip grip socks) product, we thought we should further explore their benefits and uses.

For this reason, we now have many hospitals and nursing homes throughout Australia performing in-house trials looking at how GripSox® can be used as a falls prevention aid.

A clinical trial at John Fawkner Private Hospital (JFPH) in Melbourne showed a massive 73% reduction in patient falls.  The trial, which used our REDuce Falls Sox® as part of its High Falls Risk Management Protocol, reduced the hospital's falls rate from 7.15 falls per 1000 bed days down to 1.80 falls per 1000 bed days, well below the national average.  The huge success of this trial saw JFPH win the 2010 Healthscope Service Recognition Award for Quality Improvement.

GripSox® was proud to be involved in the clinical trial of the Ruby Red Socks falls prevention program run by St Vincents & Mercy Private Hospital in Melbourne.  This trial saw all high falls risk patients wearing our REDuce Falls Sox® to help reduce the number of falls in the hospital.  The pilot program resulted in a huge reduction in falls and subsequently saw the Ruby Red Socks program being implemented throughout the entire Organisation.  Read media coverage of this program....

Click here for Ruby Red Socks trial results....

In 2010, St Andrew's Hospital in Toowoomba conducted a trial using our REDuce Falls Sox®.  Due to the huge success of this trial, the hospital will continue to use GripSox® as part of its falls prevention program.  Read more...

In March 2009 a trial commenced at Cairns Private Hospital.  This four month trial saw all post operative total hip and knee replacement patients wearing GripSox® over their compression stockings to see if the incidence of falls post operatively could be reduced.  In a fantastic result for GripSox®, the incidence of falls was reduced by a staggering 70% compared with the same four month period in 2008.  In real terms, there was a 100% success rate for GripSox®, as none of the patients recorded as falling during this trial period were wearing their GripSox® at the time of the fall.  This further highlights the importance of GripSox® as a falls prevention safety aid. Read the full results here......

GripSox® were used in a multi-factorial clinical trial run by Waikato District Health Board, New Zealand between July-December 2009.  During this period, the total number of falls recorded halved in number.  See the results graph from this study.

In 2008, a trial run at The Friendly Society Private Hospital, Queensland saw GripSox® used in a multi-factorial study looking at falls prevention.  This trial saw the incidence of falls reduced by approximately 30%.

GripSox® have also been recently trialled at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco and are currently being trialled at St Vincent's Public Hospital, Melbourne and Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne.

GripSox® is proud to be assisting all these Organisations in their bid to reduce the number of falls in hospitals and the general the community.

If you would like to be involved in further clinical trials, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

LAUNDERING CLINICAL TRIALS

We have also completed an independent clinical trial looking at how well GripSox® withstand regular washing treatments, especially in a high temperature environment such as those required in hospitals and nursing homes for infection control.

The trial involved our GripSox® product being repeatedly washed and dryed in high temperature at least four times a day over a period of 30 days.

We were very pleased to see that this method of laundering did not result in any loss of the grip dots on the sole of the socks.

* Manufacturer testing of the socks at water temperatures up to 40 degrees celsius report that any sock shrinkage noticeable at "rest" will not effect the "stretched / wearing" length of the socks due to the elastane content in the socks. This may not be the same for higher laundering temperatures.