Healthcare Environmental Sustainability
Research Overview
Healthcare Environmental Sustainability: Creating the Evidence to Drive Adoption of High-Value Initiatives in Australian Hospitals
Climate change presents an existential threat to human health, with the healthcare sector contributing significantly to this crisis. In Australia, healthcare is responsible for approximately 7% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the large majority arising from hospital-based care. Further, approximately 30% of healthcare’s greenhouse gas emissions stem from direct energy use, while the majority arises from procurement, including medications and equipment. The Australian government has mandated that healthcare systems achieve net zero carbon by 2050. However, current progress is insufficient to meet this target. There is a clear need for research that provides robust evidence on how to optimise hospital operations to reduce emissions and improve financial performance while ensuring that changes are safe and acceptable to staff. This project generates the data necessary to guide systemic changes in hospital practices, ensuring that Australian hospitals are equipped to meet sustainability targets.
Key Focus Areas
The project focuses on five high impact areas:
- Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Optimisation
Identifying energy-saving “setback” strategies of hospital HVAC systems that maintain infection control standards.
- Sterilisation Efficiency and Reuseable Textiles
Improving the efficiency of steam sterilisation processes and enhancing the use of reusable textiles in hospitals.
- Healthcare Supply Chain Waste Reduction
Identify opportunities for reducing the waste of medical supplies through waste audits, stakeholder perspectives and supporting the redistribution of unused items.
- Enhancing Clinically Appropriate Oral Medication Use
Promoting the safe and effective use of oral medications over intravenous alternatives to reduce waste, costs and environmental impact.
- Sustainability Toolkit for Hospitals
Refining and implementing a hospital sustainability toolkit to support environmental initiatives and leadership among healthcare professionals.
Staff
Lead Chief Investigator:
- A/Prof Forbes McGain, Western Health and University of Melbourne
Chief Investigators:
- A/Prof Stephanie Best, University of Melbourne
- Prof Kirsty Buising, Melbourne Health
- Dr Alisa Higgins, Monash University
- A/Prof Marion Kainer, Western Health
- Prof Jason Monty, University of Melbourne
- Dr Scott McAlister, University of Melbourne
- Prof Richard Sinnott, University of Melbourne
- Caroline Walshe, Western Health
- A/Prof Rebecca Patrick, University of Melbourne
Associate Investigators and Research Support:
- Dr Jessica Davies, Austin Health
- Dr Ben Dunne, Melbourne Health
- Dr Sonia Chanchlani, University of Melbourne
- Prof Eugenie Kayak, University of Melbourne
- Dr Kevin Kevin, University of Melbourne
- Dr Milan Jamriska, Defence Science and Technology Group
- Prof Lu Aye, University of Melbourne
- Dr Kate Charlesworth, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District
- Dr Alice McGushin, Department of Health and Aged Care
- Dr Martin Nguyen, Western Health
- A/Prof Douglas Johnson, Melbourne Health
- Catherine O’Shea, University of Melbourne
- Dr Rosemary Chen, Western Health
- Dr Briana Nickel, Western Health
- Dr Julie Dao, University of Melbourne
- Fareeha Naqvi, Western Health
- Lindsay Scudder, University of Melbourne
- Dr Urvi Thanekar, University of Melbourne
Project Coordinator
- Dr Jessica Abbonizio, University of Melbourne
Contact Us
A/Prof Forbes McGain forbes.mcgain@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Jessica Abbonizio jessica.abbonizio@unimelb.edu.au
Funding
NHMRC 2024 Collaborations in Health Services Research Grant (2044089). This project is co-funded by Western Health and Melbourne Health.
Research Opportunities
This research project is available to PhD students, Honours students to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.
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Healthcare Environmental Sustainability
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