Attitudes and Perceptions of Canadian Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck Surgeons and Residents on Environmental Sustainability

Reducing Unnecessary Instruments in Tonsil Hemorrhage Trays at a Canadian Tertiary Care Center: A Quality Improvement Project

BACKGROUND

In the emergency department (ED), there are pre-assembled tonsillar hemorrhage trays for management of post-tonsillectomy hemorrhage and peritonsillar abscess. After use, the tray is sent to the medical device reprocessing (MDR) department for decontamination, sterilization, and re-organization, all at a significant cost to the hospital and environment.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this project was to reduce unnecessary instruments on the tonsil hemorrhage tray by 30% by 1 year and report on the associated cost and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions savings.

METHODS

This quality improvement project was framed according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Model for Improvement. ED and Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery staff and residents were surveyed to determine which instruments on the tonsil hemorrhage trays were used regularly. Based on results, a new tray was developed and compared to the old tray using MDR data and existing CO2 emissions calculations.

RESULTS

Tray optimization resulted in a total cost reduction from $1092.63 to $330.21 per tray per year, decreased processing time from 12 to 6-8 minutes per tray, and decreased CO2 emissions from 6.11 to 2.85 kg per year for the old versus new tray, respectively. Overall, the new tray contains half the number of instruments, takes half the time to assemble, produces 50% less CO2 emissions, and will save the hospital approximately $100,000 over 10 years.

CONCLUSION

Healthcare costs and environmental sustainability are collective responsibilities. Surgical and procedure tray optimization is a simple, effective, and scalable form of eco-action.

Barriers and facilitators to sustainable operating theatres: a systematic review using the Theoretical Domains Framework

BACKGROUND

The health sector contributes significantly to the climate crisis. Operating theatres (OTs) in particular are a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions and waste, and while there are several evidence-based guidelines to reduce this impact, these are often not followed. The authors systematically reviewed the literature to identify barriers and facilitators of sustainable behaviour in OTs, categorising these using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, and Global Health databases were searched for articles published between January 2000 and June 2023, using the concepts: barriers and facilitators, sustainability, and surgery. Two reviewers screened abstracts from identified studies, evaluated quality, and extracted data. Identified determinants were mapped to TDF domains and further themes as required. The results were reported in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) and AMSTAR (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) guidelines.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies were selected for analysis and assessment (17 surveys and four interview studies) comprising 8286 participants, including surgeons, nurses, and anaesthetists. Eighteen themes across 10 TDF domains were identified. The most common barriers to adoption of green behaviours in OTs were in domains of: 'knowledge' ( N =18), for example knowledge of sustainable practices; 'environmental context and resources' ( N =16) for example personnel shortage and workload and inadequate recycling facilities; 'social influences' ( N =9) for example lack of leadership/organisational mandate or support; 'beliefs about consequences' ( N =9) for example concerns regarding safety. Intention was the most common facilitator, with 11 studies citing it.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite intentions to adopt sustainable practices in OTs, this review identified several barriers to doing so. Interventions should focus on mitigating these, especially by improving staff's knowledge of sustainability practices and working within the environmental context and time pressures. Furthermore, institutional change programmes and policies are needed to prioritise sustainability at the hospital and trust level. Additional qualitative work should also be conducted using behavioural frameworks, to more comprehensively investigate barriers and determinants to decarbonise OTs.