• HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
Monday, January 18, 2021
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News Chemistry

Health Affairs: Reprocessing single-use med devices boosts circular economy for hospitals

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
December 7, 2020
in Chemistry
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram

Researchers find healthcare supply chains major sources of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions

IMAGE

Credit: Association of Medical Device Reprocessors

Regulated medical device reprocessing is an important tool in improving environmental and public health outcomes, according to a new analysis published in Health Affairs. The paper indicates that health care systems generate significant amounts of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the vast majority of which come from the supply chain. Hospitals that have medical devices reprocessed by regulated reprocessors removed over 7,100 tons of waste, a number that could grow dramatically, according to the researchers.

“COVID-19 has shined a light on health care supply chain vulnerabilities and research like this outlines the path to a more resilient, cost-effective and less toxic health care system of the future,” said Dan Vukelich, Esq., President, Association of Medical Device Reprocessors. “A circular medical device industry, in the words of the study’s authors, established on ‘principles of resource conservation, efficiency, and cycles of reuse and material recovery’ will require safe, effective products and services provided by regulated reprocessors.”

The study, led by Andrea MacNeill, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Surgery at the University of British Columbia, traced these environmental issues to health care supply chains. Specifically, the authors noted an over-reliance on medical devices that are designed and labelled for “single-use,” used once, and then disposed of — even if many of these products can be reused safely. This cycle of singular use and then disposal, according to the researchers, constitutes what they refer to as a “linear economy.” The linear economy at hospitals is a primary source of waste, pollution and emissions in the health care system, as well as a cause of unnecessary financial costs and vulnerability to disruption or demand fluctuation.

Flipping the Switch from Linear to Circular Economies

To address these issues, the authors recommend that the linear economy be replaced with a “circular economy,” in which products are maintained in circulation for as long as possible before disposal. The authors identified improvements through which stakeholders in the health care system, such as hospitals, medical device manufacturers and regulators, could increase the circularity of the industry.

To drive the circular economy, improvements could include a full, life-cycle accounting of the environmental impact of medical devices and stricter procurement policies on the part of hospitals giving preference to reusable and sustainable products Further, reusable and reprocessable single-use devices should be preferred over single-use or other devices that are used once and discarded.

“Reprocessing” refers, among other steps, to the cleaning, inspection, testing, and repackaging of a medical device originally labelled for single-use so that it may be returned to service one or more times. Relying on AMDR data, the study noted that in 2018 alone, reprocessing companies in the United States, Canada, and Europe reduced hospital solid waste generation by almost 7,100 tons and generated cost savings of more than $470 million for healthcare institutions.

“I am personally quite proud to see allies of reuse and reprocessing, such as those from the prestigious universities that participated in this study, lauding the enormous environmental and public health benefits of reprocessing in Health Affairs,” said Mr. Vukelich.

###

About AMDR

The Association of Medical Device Reprocessors is the global trade association for the regulated, professional single-use device reprocessing and remanufacturing industry. For 20 years, AMDR has promoted remanufacturing as an important healthcare strategy that helps hospitals and healthcare providers increase quality, reduce costs, and strengthen the supply chain. AMDR protects the interests of its members in regulation, legislation and standard-setting.

AMDR members include Innovative Health, Medline Renewal, NEScientific, ReNu Medical, Stryker Sustainable Solution, Sustainable Technologies (a Cardinal Health Business), and Vanguard AG.

Having played a key role in the establishment of the reprocessing industry, AMDR continues to push the global medical technology industry and lead the way for remanufacturing to play a defining role in the evolution and use of new device technologies.

Media Contact
David Sheon
[email protected]

Tags: Biomechanics/BiophysicsClimate ChangeHealth CareHealth Care Systems/ServicesMechanical EngineeringMedical/Scientific EthicsMedicine/HealthPollution/Remediation
Share12Tweet8Share2ShareShareShare2

Related Posts

IMAGE

Synthesis of potent antibiotic follows unusual chemical pathway

January 18, 2021
IMAGE

A ‘super-puff’ planet like no other

January 18, 2021

Better diet and glucose uptake in the brain lead to longer life in fruit flies

January 16, 2021

Howard University professor to receive first Joseph A. Johnson Award

January 15, 2021
Next Post
IMAGE

Remote Hawaiian island harbors last land snails of their kind

IMAGE

Drug for rare disorder shows promise for treating herpes viruses

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

POPULAR NEWS

  • IMAGE

    The map of nuclear deformation takes the form of a mountain landscape

    53 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 13
  • Blood pressure drug may be key to increasing lifespan, new study shows

    44 shares
    Share 18 Tweet 11
  • New drug form may help treat osteoporosis, calcium-related disorders

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • People living with HIV face premature heart disease and barriers to care

    57 shares
    Share 23 Tweet 14

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Tags

BiologyTechnology/Engineering/Computer SciencecancerChemistry/Physics/Materials SciencesEcology/EnvironmentGeneticsMedicine/HealthMaterialsClimate ChangeInfectious/Emerging DiseasesPublic HealthCell Biology

Recent Posts

  • New management approach can help avoid species vulnerability or extinction
  • New computational tool reliably differentiates between cancer and normal cells from single-cell RNA-sequencing data
  • Inexpensive battery charges rapidly for electric vehicles, reduces range anxiety
  • Timing is of the essence when treating brain swelling in mice
  • Contact Us

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In