Survey Results: Usage of Medical Tape – 1 in 4 Users for 5+ Years. The Value of Design Affects QOL for Long-Term Users

Merry Care Shop (Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture), which sells medical tapes with illustrated designs called "Merry Care Tape," conducted a survey in March 2026 targeting 347 medical tape users nationwide.

The survey results revealed that approximately one in four (23.1%) medical tape users have been using it daily for more than five years.

Furthermore, when comparing plain medical tape with medical tape featuring colors and patterns (hereinafter referred to as "designed medical tape") with equivalent functionality and price, 25 users (7.2% of the total) responded that they would "choose designed medical tape."

Among them, 56.0% cited "can be enjoyed as fashion" and 52.0% cited "makes me feel more positive/brighter" as reasons, confirming the expectation of psychological value for medical tape.

Survey Results Summary

1. One in four users for "5 years or more" long-term use, approximately 20% use 5 days or more per week.

- The most common duration of medical tape use was "5 years or more" at 23.1%. - The frequency of medical tape use was "almost daily" at 19.6%. - The most common purpose of medical tape use was "daily injury treatment" at 71.5%.

23.1% of respondents are "5 years or more" users, and 19.6% use it 5 days or more per week. For long-term, high-frequency users, medical tape has become an indispensable consumable in daily life.

2. Top improvement request: "Skin irritation/rash" at 26.8%.

The top improvement request was "skin irritation/rash (26.8%)," followed by "weak adhesion/peels easily (25.9%)," "sticky residue remains after peeling (25.6%)," and "pain when peeling (23.6%)." For long-term, high-frequency users, these are not temporary inconveniences but recurring daily concerns.

3. Approximately 18% interested in design. Potential needs for psychological value and color options.

3-1. 17.9% would choose "designed medical tape" or find "either plain or designed acceptable."

When functionality and price are equivalent, 17.9% of respondents did not limit their choice to plain tape, with "definitely choose (1.4%)," "probably choose (5.8%)," and "either is fine (10.7%)" for designed medical tape.

Furthermore, among respondents (n=32) who use medical tape for fixing medical devices (catheters, cannulas, tubes, blood glucose meters, insulin pumps, etc.), interest in designed medical tape reached 40.6%, showing a higher tendency compared to the overall (17.9%).

This suggests that users who use medical tape daily are more likely to be interested in design.

3-2. Reason for choosing plain medical tape: "Prefer it not to stand out" at 43.5%.

The primary reason for choosing plain medical tape was "prioritize functionality (50.5%)," but "prefer it not to stand out (43.5%)" followed, indicating that awareness of others' gazes also influences the choice to some extent.

Additionally, 15.1% of respondents who chose plain tape (n=285) answered "would be happy if there were other color options," confirming interest in color variations other than white, skin tone, and transparent.

3-3. Top reasons for choosing designed medical tape: "Fashionable" at 56.0% and "Feel more positive" at 52.0%.

The top reasons cited by the 25 respondents (7.2% of the total) who chose designed medical tape were "looks fashionable/can be enjoyed as fashion (56.0%)," "makes me feel more positive/brighter (52.0%)," and "reduces the impression of being a medical product (40.0%)."

Expectations for psychological and emotional value beyond functionality were confirmed.

3-4. 68.0% willing to purchase designed medical tape even if more expensive, 12.0% regardless of price.

Among the 25 respondents who chose designed medical tape, 68.0% responded that they would purchase it even if it was more expensive than plain tape, including "would like to purchase even if 10-20% more expensive (32.0%)," "would like to purchase even if 30-50% more expensive (24.0%)," and "would like to purchase if I like it regardless of price (12.0%)."

While there is a demand for lower prices, a need to prioritize psychological value was also confirmed.

Medical Products and Design

The idea of viewing medical products as an expression of fashion and individuality has also been discussed in the design field.

Designer Graham Pullin, in his book "Design Meets Disability" (Japanese version: O'Reilly Japan, 2022 / Original: Design Meets Disability, MIT Press, 2009).