Medical technologies play a lifesaving role in patient care , but the manufacture , use , and disposal of medical devices , systems , and supplies also have a cost . These activities consume energy , release contaminants , and generate waste , adversely impacting the environment .”
increased online shopping ), and virus test kits , accounting for 7.6 percent , 4.7 percent , and 0.3 percent , respectively .”
Lee , et al . ( 2022 ) add , “ Healthcare institutions generally use disposable products to minimize infection while treating patients . This strategy seems logical to prevent the spread of COVID-19 . However , only 15 percent of all medical waste is considered “ hazardous waste ” which may be infectious or toxic , whereas 85 percent of the hospital-generated waste is general and non-hazardous waste , comprising food containers , packaging , and medical supplies ( gloves and masks , among others ) used in the screening process for patients without contagious diseases . Different and more cost-effective approaches can be used to reduce medical waste from healthcare institutions , such as appropriately sorting the discharged waste and promoting the use of systems that employ high-temperature / pressure and chemical processes to sterilize medical equipment and materials .”
As the ECRI report ( 2024 ) explains , “ Medical technologies play a lifesaving role in patient care , but the manufacture , use , and disposal of medical devices , systems , and supplies also have a cost . These activities consume energy , release contaminants , and generate waste , adversely impacting the environment . This in turn creates public health challenges — causing or worsening numerous health problems — and it exacerbates health inequities , since many of the health risks associated with environmental stressors disproportionately impact disadvantaged communities .”
ECRI says that as protectors of public health , healthcare organizations should examine methods to minimize environmental harm potentially caused by the selection , use , and disposal of medical technologies : “ Wise decisions in these areas can advance sustainability and improve a healthcare organization ’ s bottom line . Key for healthcare organizations is to identify areas where improvement is possible without compromising patient care . Sensible strategies , according to ECRI , include reducing the amount of energy consumed by medical imaging equipment ; choosing alternatives to anesthetic gases that have high global warming potential ; and eliminating purchases of unnecessary single-use items ( such as extraneous components in surgical kits ) that contribute directly to waste volumes .
Consider the three Rs of sustainability : Reduce , reuse , recycle .”
ECRI also challenges medical device manufacturers to design products with sustainability in mind , such as by reducing the use of materials that contribute to environmental harm , by making reusable products easier to clean using minimally damaging processes , and by minimizing waste material ( such as packaging ) included with each product .
Poor quality control of implantable orthopedic products
Last year ’ s ECRI list named as the No . 2 hazard an unacceptably high number of defective single-use medical devices that continue to be present in the supply chain . Single-use medical devices — which include products that are used once and then discarded , as well as those that get consumed during use — play a role in virtually every patient encounter , ECRI reminds us , and as a result , defective products can have a broad , negative impact on patient care , causing delays and increasing costs — and most concerningly , contributing to patient harm or death in some circumstances . ECRI says it has received reports of cracked tubing and connectors ; compromised sterility of needles , catheters , and procedure kits ; and incorrect product labeling . These are just a few examples of product defects that can lead to waste , delays , incorrect treatment , healthcare-acquired infections , or other patient harm . ECRI says it is “ concerned that some device manufacturers are not making sufficient efforts to address the problem . In fact , rather than seeing improvements over time , we ’ ve noticed a continuing increase in problem reports . ECRI urges manufacturers to take decisive steps to improve their quality control ( QC ) processes . Steps that healthcare organizations can take include encouraging users to report defective products ; tracking device usage to identify potential waste due to defects ; identifying functionally equivalent products for critical single-use items ; and holding manufacturers and distributors accountable for defective products , using the organization ’ s leverage to push for improvements .”
In 2024 , ECRI notes that a “ broad concern remains ,” but this year has focused on one specific product group — implantable products intended for use during orthopedic procedures . As the ECRI report ( 2024 ) explains ,
“ The prevalence of quality control ( QC ) issues related to these products and the potential for significant harm warrant particular attention . Implantable orthopedic products range from simple items — such as bone screws , rods , and plates — to complex ones , like knee and hip prostheses . Defects in these products can delay or prolong surgery and can lead to other harm , including persistent pain or infection that may not become evident until long after the patient ’ s surgery .”
ECRI reports it has received or investigated reports of :
●Incorrect labeling or packaging , which can lead to the selection of the wrong product , resulting in incorrect treatment and subsequent pain or injury .
●Device-device incompatibility and missing components , which are most likely to cause delays in patient treatment or to prolong surgical procedures .
●Breaks , cracks , and other defects , which can lead to implant failure , possibly requiring total revision surgery .
Steps that healthcare organizations can take include instructing users to look for and report signs of defects before use , tracking defects that are reported , and holding manufacturers and distributors accountable , using the organization ’ s leverage to push for improvements . ECRI challenges manufacturers of implantable orthopedic products — and all single-use medical devices — to strive for zero defects in their manufacturing and packaging processes .
References : ECRI . Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2024 .
Accessible at : www . ECRI . org / 2024hazards
FDA . Home Use Devices Initiative . Accessible at : https :// www . fda . gov / medical-devices / home-use-devices / home-use-devices-initiative
ISMP . Sterile Compounding Tragedy is a Symptom of a Broken System on Many Levels . Oct . 18 , 2012 . Accessible at : https :// www . ismp . org / resources / sterile-compounding-tragedy-symptom-broken-system-many-levels
ISMP . Guidelines for Sterile Compounding and the Safe Use of Sterile Compounding Technology . 2022 . Accessible at : Guidelines for Sterile Compounding and the Safe Use of Sterile Compounding Technology | Institute For Safe Medication Practices ( ismp . org )
Lee S and Lee DH . Effective Medical Waste Management for Sustainable Green Healthcare . Int J Environmental Research and Public Health . 19 ( 22 ): 14820 . November 2022 . DOI : 10.3390 / ijerph192214820
18 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com • february 2024