Developing Green Healthcare Activities in the Total Quality Management Framework

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of green healthcare activities in hospitals based on the total quality management (TQM) framework. The proposed research model and associated hypotheses were tested using structural equations modeling based on the data collected from 261 employees at general hospitals in South Korea. The results of the study revealed that the role of top management is essential for the successful implementation of green healthcare activities through motivating employees for their active participation in the program, providing continuous education and training on the importance of environmental sustainability, and diligent monitoring of the progress at the organization level. The study findings provide theoretical and practical implications on strategic approaches to planning and implementing green healthcare activities in hospitals for the greater good.

Biobanking in the digital pathology era

“…In addition, biobanks continuously demand improved efficiency in storage and sustainability [61,62]. To accomplish these requirements, next-generation biobanking will face the green hospital revolution, as a response to the growing concern over resource wasting and environmental damage [63,64]. Digital biobanks will decrease resource usage with the dematerialization of data and samples and reduce energy use by digitalizing data storage and tracking, still providing patients with the best service.…”

Effective Medical Waste Management for Sustainable Green Healthcare

“…To create a sustainable medical environment through the reduction in and management of medical waste, an appropriate organizational culture must be developed, encouraging the participation of all stakeholders who partake in medical waste generation [ 1 ]. This also requires the involvement and cooperation of all stakeholders, including the various occupations/departments within the healthcare institution, as well as the collaboration of patients, guardians, subcontractors, and communities [ 32 ].…”

“…The detailed contents of these factors can be summarized as follows. The medical industry and environmental protection are closely related [ 1 ]. For example, healthcare institutions that operate emergency and in-patient rooms emit greenhouse gases throughout the day.…”

“…On the other hand, they also have drawbacks, such as waste treatment issues with the increased use of disposable products and inequalities due to social and digital divides. In particular, the increased volume of plastic waste due to COVID-19-related practices has significant ramifications that pose challenges with respect to ensuring a sustainable environment [ 1 , 2 ].…”

“…Several initiatives and studies have investigated various aspects of medical waste, including the Medical Wastes Act [ 8 ]; treatment methods and the current status of waste management [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]; knowledge, attitudes, and practices of medical staff with respect to medical waste e.g., [ 1 , 15 , 16 ]; and COVID-19-related medical waste e.g., [ 3 , 6 , 17 ]. However, limited research is available on the sources of medical waste (e.g., healthcare institutions).…”