Sustainability in the Health Care Industry

Learn more about the importance of sustainability in the health care industry, particularly concerning medical devices.

Sustainability is becoming more important across the health care industry.It is increasingly a key factor in the decision-making process at the very highest level.  It is high on the agendas of C-level executives.  Few, if any, strategic decisions are taken without considering sustainability.

This has gained such significance that any business wishing to market to the healthcare sector must be able to clearly articulate its commitment to sustainability. If this isn't done, it's likely that a business won't be allowed to submit a bid for the chance to provide goods and services to healthcare practitioners.

As a result, consumers, hospitals, health care providers, and increasingly government lawmakers are putting pressure on medical device producers to provide more sustainable solutions. Sustainability is now a requirement for conducting business in the health care sector and is no longer a choice.

Health care systems are some of the largest organizations in the world, with huge purchasing power. As a result, they have the power to influence their supply chains to design, produce, and distribute medical goods and services while taking into account environmental and other sustainability concerns.

We can begin to comprehend the need for and growing importance of sustainability to our customers if we focus specifically on medical devices. Medical device waste is a major issue that is spreading across the world due to the disposable culture that permeates health care equipment. The complexity of devices is increasing as they combine various materials and frequently now include electrical components. All of this increases the difficulty and cost of reprocessing.The health care industry accounts for a huge 4.4% of carbon emissions worldwide. The majority of this comes from the supply chain, more than 70%—another reason why health care organizations are putting pressure on their supply chain to improve their sustainability credentials. If the health care industry was a country, it would be the world’s seventh largest polluter.

To help address this problem, the medical devices industry in Europe has defined what ”good” looks like in sustainability for medical devices:

Good health and well-being, responsible consumption and production, climate action and partnerships are the goals which we see as particularly relevant for our trade association.

So how can producers of components and end products accomplish their sustainability objectives? We need to collaborate early in the design process—as early as possible—as 80% of the impact on sustainability occurs at the start of the design process. Suppliers can have the biggest impact and be of the most assistance to clients by participating in these early design choices with them.

Discussion topics will focus around reducing power consumption, reducing size and weight and using fewer components through higher integration. We can also review how electronic devices can be manufactured responsibly and reused or recycled at the end of their lives.

However, we must always bear in mind that the prime objectives of a medical device are its efficacy, or how effective it is, and safety. These will always rank higher than sustainability for a medical device. Therefore we need to look for smart ways to improve sustainability without compromising efficacy or safety.

We can summarize the benefits of making more sustainable medical devices:

• Sustainable devices are better for the environment, and nowadays are more attractive to consumers and end users, who will pay a premium for more sustainable solutions.

• A more responsible approach to business will attract investors and customers. Cost can be saved, and combined with end users looking for more sustainable products and services, will give companies a competitive advantage.

• There are opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, save energy and water and reduce material waste. We don’t need big, sweeping changes. Small changes at each stage of the product lifecycle can have a huge positive impact in the overall sustainability of that product.

• The search for more environmentally friendly materials has resulted in medical products that are more compatible with the human body and are better tolerated by the skin or in an implant. This not only gives a better patient outcome but improves sustainability as well.

News from Microchip-Philip Hart