The concept of sustainable healthcare is quite trending these days, especially because people are becoming more aware of their environment and responsibilities towards it. In a nutshell, sustainability in healthcare refers to the concept of fulfilling the healthcare needs of the current generation while ensuring that the economic, environmental, and social resources aren’t compromised for the coming generations. The World Health Organization (WHO) gives a similar definition, adding that this concept deals with human health in the context of planetary health i.e. both are interrelated.
Healthcare widely includes the manufacturing of numerous medical devices, which automatically translates to serious damage to the environment. At this point, the need for safer and less polluting alternatives is skyrocketing and needs serious consideration. This blog will discuss in detail various sustainable practices in medical device manufacturing and how we can shift towards greener alternatives soon.
Sustainability in Medical Device Manufacturing
Sustainability refers to the capacity to continue or support a process across time. Sustainability is frequently divided into three main concepts: economic, environmental, and social. Many corporations and governments have committed to long-term goals, such as minimizing their environmental footprints and preserving resources. Some of the common principles of sustainability, relevant to healthcare, are:
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Empowering patients: Every patient should have a strong say in how their treatment and medication should proceed. It’s important to adopt a patient-centric approach and decide on drug dosage and treatment plan accordingly. Not only does this help the patient, but also helps the environment by preventing unnecessary usage of medical equipment and avoiding triggering antimicrobial resistance.
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Lean pathways: This means streamlining the entire healthcare system and steps involved, thereby reducing unnecessary wastage of medical resources. For instance, using advanced technology and automation can make it easy to quickly diagnose patients and also help prevent duplicate data or repetitive tests. All of these help conserve energy and contribute to sustainability.
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Low-carbon options: We could reduce the carbon footprint of treatment without harming (and frequently benefiting) patients by evaluating low-carbon alternatives like reusable PPE, reusable surgical tools, and lower-carbon prescription choices. In asthma care, for example, we may prioritize selecting the appropriate medication for each patient. Many patients find low-carbon dry powder inhalers more convenient than metered dosage inhalers.
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Prevention: As we all have heard, prevention is better than cure. This saying stands true in this context too. The fewer the number of sick patients, the fewer their healthcare needs, and less will be the carbon emissions. Preventive measures can include reducing air pollution (which will help in preventing lung infections and diseases), keeping water sources clear (prevent water-borne diseases), educating people and making them aware, etc.
To ensure sustainability in medical device manufacturing, it is necessary that healthcare providers strictly adhere to the protocols and regulations established. Doing this shall make sure that the best quality of healthcare reaches the patient while keeping the environment safe and minimizing any damage to it.
Sustainable Materials and Eco-Friendly Alternatives
The healthcare industry involves the use of numerous materials, especially for manufacturing all kinds of medical devices. However, many of them aren’t sustainable or environmentally friendly, such as plastics.
While plastics have undeniably changed several industries, the healthcare industry, for example, has many challenges that go along with them, such as medical plastics waste. This trash can range from syringes to IV bags, packaging, and more. All of this adds to the rising pressure on landfills and the problem of non-biodegradable materials.
Fortunately, hope for eco-friendly alternatives exists in the shape of biodegradable polymers. They provide a potential future that, if used correctly, can help alleviate this issue. Bioplastics are obtained from renewable sources(eg. agricultural wastes), unlike the usual plastic obtained from non-renewable sources (eg. fossil fuels). However, these bioplastics provide comparable performance and are flexible enough to be tailored according to the user’s requirements. Using such eco-friendly options will tremendously help in reducing carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Also, since they are biodegradable, there’s no tension of accumulation in water bodies for centuries to come. Steady research is ongoing in various labs nowadays, trying to enhance these polymers’ functional qualities so that they may be used in a variety of medical applications.
Energy-Efficient Manufacturing Processes
As mentioned earlier, it is becoming essential for every healthcare provider or organization to become aware of their role in contributing to the environment. Now the process of manufacturing medical devices and equipment involves lots of waste generation as well as carbon emissions. In general, factories consume huge volumes of highly carbon-intensive fossil fuels like natural gas and diesel. So it is required to strictly monitor the various processes going onsite for any medical device manufacturing factory. Some of the useful ways to manage this situation are mentioned below:
- Manufacturing sites should have energy sub-metering installed to measure the energy consumption of significant users.
- Dedicated environmental teams must be employed to actively encourage the members to reduce energy consumption. They will also be responsible for real-time monitoring and developing sustainable manufacturing processes.
- Manufacturers can make sure of high decarbonization if they lower their reliance on fossil fuels as their energy source. Instead, they can go for greener alternatives, such as biofuels or renewable energy sources such as solar power or wind energy.
- In manufacturers’ process optimization strategies, reduced water usage, energy efficiency, optimized logistics, and reduced use of harmful chemicals should quickly become standard practices.
Waste Reduction and Management
The healthcare and medical device industry generates a huge amount of waste, the majority of which isn’t biodegradable or treatable. Recent studies indicated that hospital patients throughout the United States create roughly 33.8 pounds of garbage each day, which equates to approximately 6 million tons of waste yearly. The worst part is it is believed that 15% of the total waste produced is hazardous, which can be infectious, poisonous, or radioactive.
The main reason for such huge numbers of medical waste production is reliance on disposable materials, especially owing to fear of infectious diseases. The manufacturing, delivery, use, and disposal of single-use medical supplies account for approximately 80% of the healthcare sector’s carbon footprint. However, there’s no solid evidence that disposable supplies are better than sterilized ones which can be reused.
The disadvantages were prominently observed during the peak times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Loads of single-use supplies were used and disposed of, some improperly in water bodies or roadsides. Hence, it can be suggested that perfectly sterilized equipment can be used instead of disposables, which will help in lowering both the financial and environmental costs of healthcare
As far as the management of medical device wastes, there are set procedures and guidelines that must be followed. For instance, the wastewater must be thoroughly treated before releasing out. Solid wastes should be recycled as much as possible and the rest should be incinerated or sent to designated landfills.
Economic Benefits of Sustainable Manufacturing
Sustainable manufacturing of medical devices not only ensures a healthy and green environment but has multiple economic benefits. Some of them are as follows:
- The government often incentivizes companies that work with sustainability with rebates, grants, tax credits, etc.
- Additionally, there’s financial support to install energy-friendly machines and other efficient systems.
- There’s a growing preference for products from companies that are environmentally aware and friendly. So this can give a big market edge over others.
- Recycling products and reducing wastage automatically means less reliance on new products, and hence less need for manufacturing. This helps the company to save a lot on the manufacturing costs.
Conclusion
Adopting sustainable techniques in the production of medical devices is not only a fad; it is a vital change in the direction of a healthier world and future. The sector may lower its carbon footprint by emphasizing energy-efficient procedures, environmentally friendly products, and strict regulatory compliance. At DSS Image Tech, we are committed to promoting greener healthcare solutions through innovative technologies and sustainable practices. To achieve a more sustainable healthcare system, we must work together, be innovative, and be dedicated to constant development. Together, we can create a healthcare system that is more robust and sustainable.
