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Assessment of Environmental Sustainability in Health Care Organizations

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  • María Carmen Carnero

    (Technical School of Industrial Engineering, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda. Camilo José Cela s/n, Ciudad Real 13071, Spain)

Abstract

Healthcare organizations should set a standard in corporate social responsibility and encourage environmental sustainability, since protection of the environment implies the development of preventive measures in healthcare. Environmental concern has traditionally focused on manufacturing plants. However, a Health Care Organization (HCO) is the only type of company which generates all existing classes of waste, and 20% is dangerous, being infectious, toxic or radioactive in nature. Despite the extensive literature analysing environmental matters, there is no objective model for assessing the environmental sustainability of HCOs in such a way that the results may be compared over time for an organization, and between different organizations, to give a comparison or benchmarking tool for HCOs. This paper presents a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis model integrating a Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process and utility theory, to evaluate environmental sustainability in HCOs. The model uses criteria assessed as a function of the number of annual treatments undertaken. The model has been tested in two HCOs of very different sizes.

Suggested Citation

  • María Carmen Carnero, 2015. "Assessment of Environmental Sustainability in Health Care Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-22, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:7:p:8270-8291:d:51816
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    2. Chang Wook Kang & Muhammad Imran & Muhammad Omair & Waqas Ahmed & Misbah Ullah & Biswajit Sarkar, 2019. "Stochastic-Petri Net Modeling and Optimization for Outdoor Patients in Building Sustainable Healthcare System Considering Staff Absenteeism," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-26, June.
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    4. María Carmen Carnero, 2020. "Waste Segregation FMEA Model Integrating Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set and the PAPRIKA Method," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-29, August.
    5. David Naranjo-Gil, 2016. "The Role of Management Control Systems and Top Teams in Implementing Environmental Sustainability Policies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-12, April.
    6. Elio Borgonovi & Paola Adinolfi & Rocco Palumbo & Gabriella Piscopo, 2018. "Framing the Shades of Sustainability in Health Care: Pitfalls and Perspectives from Western EU Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-20, November.
    7. Justyna Berniak-Woźny & Małgorzata Rataj, 2023. "Towards Green and Sustainable Healthcare: A Literature Review and Research Agenda for Green Leadership in the Healthcare Sector," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Anna Dos, 2017. "Multi-criteria decision methods for CSR management – literature review," Managerial Economics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Management, vol. 18(1), pages 63-86.
    9. Daniela C. Momete, 2016. "Building a Sustainable Healthcare Model: A Cross-Country Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(9), pages 1-15, August.
    10. N. Aktaş & N. Demirel, 2021. "A hybrid framework for evaluating corporate sustainability using multi-criteria decision making," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 15591-15618, October.
    11. María Carmen Carnero, 2020. "Fuzzy TOPSIS Model for Assessment of Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study with Patient Judgements," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-43, November.
    12. Mmemek-Abasi Etim & Sunday Academe & PraiseGod Emenike & David Omole, 2021. "Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Approach in the Assessment of Medical Waste Management Systems in Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-26, September.

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