Brief Guide to Sustainable Practices in Hospitals

With the impacts of climate change becoming more apparent than ever, it is time to look at the leading causes of the worsening state of the globe. Not only will resolving these sources of environmental decay create a safer planet, it will lead to better health for those that populate it. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found that environmental hazards, to include air pollution, chemical exposures and extreme weather changes, can lead to several illnesses to include chronic disease such as cancer and asthma and acute symptoms such as heat exhaustion. Resolving these issues will lead to better lifestyles and life longevity. Surprisingly enough, researchers at Yale University and Northeastern University have found that hospital buildings are ranked second in the amount of energy that is used amongst all commercial buildings. The harmful health effects caused by the ones that treat and care for illnesses is ironic to say the least. It is important for changes in the healthcare industry to improve the community by practicing safer and greener methods of care. A few of the major areas that can improve sustainable practices within hospital systems are discussed below.

1. Waste Management:

• Recycling versus waste bins - Several state laws require the recycling of certain items in businesses, with Wisconsin requiring the recycling of paper, glasses, cardboard, plastic, metals, electronics, etc. A main issue that affects sustainable practices in hospital settings is recyclable items being stored in waste containers and waste items being stored in recyclable containers. For safe practice through infection control, it is crucial for medical waste to be stored in waste containers while recyclable items are placed in recycling containers. Julie Henry, a contributing editor of Healthcare Dive, stresses the importance of developing a formal waste management plan that every employee is aware of, using appropriate signage and possible color codes (eg: green for recycle and red for waste) to differentiate recycling bins from waste bins, and using recyclable products over single-use items whenever possible.
• Food: Most hospitals and clinics in the United States have a form of a cafeteria or break room for patients, families, and staff that provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for long stays in the hospital. The amount of food that is offered for these three meals and the long hours that they must be available leads to a considerable amount of food waste. A study in 2022 states four of the common solutions that are currently taken on this issue, that being (1) flexible portion sizes, (2) selective menus, (3) additional nutritional support, and (4) placement of an order and delivery system. Smaller portion sizes and selective menus can decrease the amount of food being produced and decrease the amount that is left uneaten. Additionally, an ordering system where a meal is created based on request rather than in a buffet style can help decrease the excess amounts of foods that are cooked. Finally, turning to locally sourced items from Farmer’s Markets can not only decrease transport costs of items, it can also provide healthier and fresher items for visitors and employees to enjoy.

2. Energy Source?

The move from using fossil fuels for energy to solar panels has taken a storm in the healthcare industry around the world. Castle Hill Hospital in East Yorkshire has become the first hospital in the United Kingdom to run solely on renewable energy in 2021. EcoClub, an NGO based in Ukraine, has created a fundraiser to provide solar energy for health facilities throughout their country with their first project already completed in Zhytomyr Oblast in a health center in northern Ukraine . The desire to switch to solar energy provides several benefits to healthcare organizations, to include better access to health technology in areas that struggle with consistent electricity, extended hours of energy (which is crucial for supplies that need to remain refrigerated or information technology that needs to remain running), and of course sustainable actions that avoid pollution and damage to our ecosystem.?

3.Use of Technology

Decreasing the requirement for transport will help avoid pollution during a patient’s commute. It is obvious that not all patients are able to travel via public transport, especially when they have difficulties with ambulation or live in far regions from their physician. The advancement of Telemedicine has been vital in reducing the stress, energy, and pollution that is associated with patient travel. Through video calls during consultation, pre-operative visits, and post-operative visits, the requirement for commute is decreased exponentially. Further use of these services can be vital to a sustainable future for all. Additionally, the 21st century change from paperwork to digital documentation has been revolutionary in the amount of paper that is used and discarded. Through Electronic Health Records (EHRs), all information is stored in a HIPAA-compliant system that can easily be accessed with a few clicks. Saving time from scattering through boxes of papers to find a patient’s health record is not only helpful with information retrieval, it has been a game-changing advancement in sustainability.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, January 3). Introduction to environmental public health tracking. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/tracking/tracking-intro.html#:~:text=Environmental%20hazards%E2%80%94like%20water%20and,acute%20illnesses%20like%20heat%20exhaustion.?
2. How can hospitals become more sustainable?. PA Consulting. (n.d.). https://www.paconsulting.com/insights/how-can-hospitals-become-more-sustainable/
3. Reducing healthcare waste. Reducing healthcare waste | | Wisconsin DNR. (n.d.). https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/HealthWaste/Reduce.html
4. ?Henry, J. (2016, July 12). 9 ways to cut down on medical waste. Healthcare Dive. https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/9-ways-to-cut-down-on-medical-waste/422468/
5. ?Antasouras G, Vasios GK, Kontogiorgis C, Ioannou Z, Poulios E, Deligiannidou GE, Troumbis AY, Giaginis C. How to improve food waste management in hospitals through focussing on the four most common measures for reducing plate waste. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2023 Mar;38(2):296-316. doi: 10.1002/hpm.3586. Epub 2022 Oct 3. PMID: 36193027.
6. The UK’s first hospital to be completely powered by Solar Energy. ChamberUK. (2022, May 11). https://chamberuk.com/the-uks-first-hospital-to-be-completely-powered-by-solar-energy/
7. Alessandro du Besse’ - Tech Editor. (2023, January 2). Solar Energy for Ukraine hospitals: NGO Launches fundraiser. Impakter. https://impakter.com/solar-energy-for-ukraine-hospitals-ngo-launches-fundraiser/
8. ?United Nations. (n.d.). Solar for health: Five ways solar power can make universal healthcare a reality. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/solar-health-five-ways-solar-power-can-make-universal-healthcare-reality