Table 2 : Environment indicator calculations from of life cycle inventory components for reusable vs . disposable systems for isolation gowns 3
Natural Resource Energy ,
MJ / 1,000 uses
Global
Warming Potential kg / C0 2 eq / 1,000 uses
Blue Water kg / 1,000 uses
Solid Waste at hospital uses kg / 1,000 uses
Life Cycle Inventory Component R D R D R D R D
Gown and packaging manufacture & delivery
End-of-Life landfill
Laundry Operations
Manufacture & delivery of gown
Manufacture & delivery of packaging
Landfill isolation gowns & packaging
Landfill of biological waste
1,133 4,996 68.6 300 35.1 74.6 - -
16.7 120 1.03 6.95 - -
2.43 34.9 . 139 1.99 0 0 . 413-4.41 63.2
- . 0114 - . 0682 . 0132 . 794 0 0 0- . 00323 . 194
Laundry 2.538 - 146 - 8.71 - - - Water for laundry 7.31 - . 411 - 0 - - -
Wastewater treatment to restore water
14.4 - 2.08 - 0 - - -
TOTAL 3,712 5,150 218 310 43.8 74.6 . 0412-4.42 63.4
Reduction from selecting reusable system , % of disposable system
R = Reusable ; D = Disposable ; MJ = megajoules
When performing analysis all costs including environmental impact should to be considered in final savings calculations .
In the instance that your organization has limited or no use of reusable gowns , you may opt to schedule with a reusables provider a limited evaluation ( usage , environmental benefits , and annual cost ) of the reusable gown and processes associated with changes that would occur upon implementation of an approval decision .
Step 4 : Discussion and decision
Value analysis creates an executive summary of the findings in steps 1-3 and Tables 1-2 , process feedback from evaluations , other end-user feedback , and overall savings to present to a multi-disciplinary ad hoc team ( MDAHT ) composed of infection prevention and control , nursing , supply chain , linen services , environmental services , quality , risk management , safety , and key executive leaders for discussion and organizational decision making . The process can be enhanced by a decision chart using weighted criteria to assess the pros and cons with a scorecard to provide an objective decision .
Step 5 : Implementation and monitoring
Based on an approval decision value analysis assists in implementation planning to assure effective transition , collaborate on education and training , assure resulting contracts contain key performance indicators and metrics agreed upon by the MDAHT . Once the implementation has taken place , value analysis continues to monitor and assist in mitigating urgent issues and gathers metrics at specified internal to assure goals are being met .
Overcash emphasizes three critical considerations to keep in mind during the selection process :
28 % - 30 % - 41 % - 93-96 % -
• Health risk
• Environmental sustainability
• Annual costs
Editor ’ s note : Through Aug . 31 , 2022 you can sign-in to hear Overcash and Sehulster discuss “ Healthcare Textiles and Laundry Related Imperatives ” and other real-world infection prevention , environmental services and value analysis healthcare topics from the Symposium on Healthcare Value Analysis & Infection Prevention brought to you by Healthcare Hygiene magazine , the Association of Healthcare Value Analysis Professionals ( AHVAP ), The Pearce Foundation for Scientific Endeavor , and the Environmental Services Optimization Playbook ( EvSOP ) Project , who partnered to develop this free virtual symposium that offers 6 contact hours of nursing continuing
education . To RSVP , visit : https :// inevent . com / en / KeystoneMediaInc / SymposiumonHealthcareValueAnalysisIInfectionPreven / form . php
References :
1 . https :// www . fda . gov / news-events / press-announcements / statement-quality-issuescertain-cardinal-health-surgical-gowns-and-packs
2 . https :// www . cambridge . org / core / journals / infection-control-and-hospitalepidemiology / article / estimated-incidence-rate-of-healthcareassociated-infections-haislinked-to-laundered-reusable-healthcare-textiles-hcts-in-the-united-states-and-unitedkingdom-over-a-50year-period-do-the-data-support-the-efficacy-of-approved-laundry-pr actices / 93253E00A94CEE5E17FE086AB2AEF3BC # 3 . https :// www . sciencedirect . com / science / article / pii / S0196655318300750 4 . https :// www . cdc . gov / infectioncontrol / guidelines / environmental / background / laundry . html