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Healthcare Structures and Sustainable Culture
Ensuring an efficient and high-quality healthcare service also means meeting the energy needs of various hospital environments. Today, the healthcare sector is one of the most polluting in the world: hospitals are by definition complex structures, active 24/7, and inherently characterized by a very high energy demand. It is, therefore, essential that healthcare organizations undertake initiatives aimed at promoting virtuous mechanisms and care pathways capable of reducing environmental impact and generating a sustainable culture in line with the mission of this sector: to improve the health and quality of life of the population.
The One Health approach
According to the holistic vision of the 'One Health' approach, officially recognized by the Italian Ministry of Health and the European Commission, human health, animal health, and the health of the entire ecosystem are inextricably linked. In line with this approach is also Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda.
Implementing the 'One Health' approach means embarking on a digital transformation journey that leads to managing relationships, enhancing data and information, and rethinking the services available to patients to make them accessible to all.
Where are we now
Initiatives related to sustainability and technological progress in the healthcare sector are not yet widespread, but within healthcare organizations, there is a growing awareness that long-term sustainability goals create value, and that digital transformation enables sustainable models for healthcare delivery.
In this context, it must be recognized that sustainability is inherently interconnected with health and wellness issues.
Measurement of sustainability in Healthcare Companies
Identifying and measuring specific sustainability KPIs in healthcare organizations is essential not only to monitor the achievement of certain objectives over time or to evaluate the progress of actions taken, but also to demonstrate that there are sustainable care and assistance models that go hand in hand with greater appropriateness in terms of care setting. Developing a sustainable strategy within a healthcare organization necessarily requires data collection.
How to get started?
If, on one hand, healthcare systems can take initial measures to achieve quick results in terms of sustainability, on the other hand, they must develop long-term strategies and support efforts towards broader sustainability as an integral part of their value proposition.
In this perspective, the role of technology is essential, as specific tools implemented with low-code technologies like the Microsoft Sustainability Manager platform now allow tracking emissions produced over time, creating a favorable context where innovation and sustainability enable the configuration of a best practice with a high social impact.
With smart solutions and concrete initiatives
It is worth noting that there are "smart" solutions that can help achieve initial health and sustainability goals and from which one can start to give a concrete start to paths oriented towards a sustainable culture.
Some examples include the virtual assistant, which helps reduce queues, waiting times, and, above all, improves the patient experience, the unnecessary trips of patients, the patient portals, which, thanks to easy access to relevant information and documentation, generate a reduction in travel and limit the influx to healthcare facilities, and telemedicine, which extends the possibility of care.
Shifting all non-essential physical services to virtual healthcare models, reducing resource waste and introducing new digital services capable of supporting and streamlining processes, making patients feel more cared for and saving time for both patients and healthcare operators, especially in cases of low-value activities.
Supporting healthcare organizations in pursuing actions aimed at prevention, promoting healthy lifestyles for individuals and communities, and activating screening and personalized care campaigns, supported by digital tools, such as dedicated portals, that facilitate the centrality of the patient in the care process, in order to promote the health of the population even outside the hospital context and to make the patient an active part of a change process that concerns not only their health but that of the entire population.
Introducing digital tools into the health ecosystem capable of supporting the monitoring and dissemination of strategies aimed at achieving greater environmental sustainability. For example, equipping health companies with technological solutions that can predict the impact of various carbon emission reduction strategies and measure over time the achievement of identified indicators, activating virtuous mechanisms.
Integrated health, sustainability, and digital strategy
Today, compared to previous years, it is much more evident how healthcare, sustainability, and digital strategy must be integrated to make significant progress in all healthcare organizations and to sustainably address the challenges of the future. The time is therefore ripe to accelerate an internal push within organizations that brings sustainability goals among the shared objectives.