Environmental Sustainability in Hospitals - a Systematic Review and Research Agenda
journal commodity
Journal of Wellness Services Enquiry & Policy
Published By: Sage Publications, Inc.
https://www. jstor .org/stable/26751577
Objectives: Hospitals are significant contributors to natural resource depletion and ecology modify. Our objective was to plant the extent to which infirmary environmental sustainability has been studied and the key issues that emerge for policy, practice and enquiry. Methods: The PubMed, Engineering Village, Cochrane and Rex's Fund databases were searched for articles relating to infirmary ecology sustainability published in English betwixt 1 Jan 1990 and ane October 2013. Further studies were plant past review of reference lists. Ane hundred 90-3 relevant articles were found and 76 were selected for inclusion in the review. Results: Common research themes were identified: hospital blueprint, direct energy consumption, water, procurement, waste, travel and psychology and behaviour. Some countries (particularly the United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland) have begun to invest systematically in agreement the environmental effects of hospitals. We found big variability in the extent of the evidence base according to topic. Inquiry regarding the architectural cloth of hospital buildings is at a relatively mature stage. Similarly, there is a developed research base regarding devices and technologies used within hospitals to reduce the environmental effects of directly infirmary free energy and water use. Less is known about the clinical, psychological and social factors that influence how health care professionals use resources, travel to/from infirmary, and interact with the buildings and technologies available. A meaning part of the environmental footprint of hospitals relates to clinical practice, e.grand. decisions regarding the employ of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Medical 'cradle to grave' life cycle cess studies have been published to sympathize the full financial and environmental costs of infirmary activities. The furnishings of preventive or need management measures which avoid unnecessary hospital procedures are probable to be much greater than incremental changes to how infirmary procedures are performed. Conclusions: There remain meaning gaps in the evidence base of operations on hospital sustainability. Assessments of environmental impacts and natural resource use are first to be produced, both at the level of individual hospitals and at the health system level. These are an of import start, but in many areas do not yet provide sufficiently detailed data to guide controlling. At that place are many areas where the interests of patients and the environment coincide, merely others where tensions exist. Rising resources costs and climate change mitigation measures are probable to create an increasing stimulus for inquiry on hospital sustainability. Such research volition benefit from inter-disciplinary coordination across research funders and countries.
With always increasing pressure level for health services in all countries to see ascent demands, improve their quality and efficiency, and to be more than answerable; the demand for rigorous inquiry and policy analysis has never been greater. The Journal of Wellness Services Research and Policy presents the latest scientific research, insightful overviews and reflections on underlying problems, and innovative, thought provoking contributions from leading academics and policy-makers. It provides ideas and promise for solving dilemmas that confront all countries.
Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than than 900 journals and over 800 new books each twelvemonth, spanning a broad range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes athenaeum, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains bulk owned by our founder and later on her lifetime will go owned by a charitable trust that secures the company'southward continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com
Source: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26751577
0 Response to "Environmental Sustainability in Hospitals - a Systematic Review and Research Agenda"
Post a Comment