Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Οργάνωση και Διοίκηση Υπηρεσιών ΥγείαςLibrary of the School of Health Sciences
Author:
Zygoura Eleftheria
Supervisors info:
Καϊτελίδου Δάφνη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ, Επιβλέπουσα
Βελονάκης Εμμανουήλ, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Σουρτζή Παναγιώτα, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Νοσηλευτικής, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Διερεύνηση της δυνατότητας εξοικονόμησης πόρων από την ανακύκλωση, επαναχρησιμοποίηση και ορθή διαχείριση των ιατρικών αποβλήτων
Translated title:
Research of the financial resources resulting from the recycling, the reuse and the proper management of medical waste
Summary:
INTRODUCTION: In recent decades, there has been considerable concern in both the scientific world and the society for the degradation of environmental quality. The production of medical waste from health care units contributes significantly to the environmental burden, making it imperative to take the necessary measures aimed at preserving the environment due to sustainable development through the implementation of alternative management methods of medical waste.
PURPOSE: The purpose of the review is to explore the possibilities of generating financial resources from the re-use, the recycling and the proper management of medical waste. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The review included research articles published between 1995 and 2018, coming from search databases, Medline, Scopus, and complementary through the search engine Google scholar. A total of 92 studies were found out of which 30 met the inclusion criteria in the systematic review
RESULTS: Overall, out of the 30 studies included in the systematic review, 12 evaluated the economic benefits resulting from the reuse of medical waste and accounted for up to 65%. The remaining 10 studies explored the financial resources saved by the recycling of medical waste by securing up to $ 174.240 per year in hospital budgets in countries of the European Union, while 8 studies evaluated the reduction in capital cost resulting from the proper management of medical waste accounted for up to 125.205$ per year in Canada and the USA, depending on the bed capacity for each hospital.
CONCLUSIONS: The use of alternative management methods of medical waste, such as recycling and re-use, in the context of the cyclical economy, contributes significantly to securing new financial resources. However, although significant efforts are being made in the global community to optimize hospital waste management, this effort needs to be stepped up, mobilizing both public bodies and health professionals themselves.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Recycling of medical waste, Reuse of medical waste, Medical waste management costs, Alternative methods for medical waste management
File:
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Zygoura Eleftheria MSc.pdf
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File access is restricted only to the intranet of UoA.
