Study Finds Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Has High Carbon Footprint
Patient travel time has a greater environmental impact, accounting for around 83% of emissions.
Each procedure generated an average carbon footprint of 38.45 kg CO₂e, which could be huge when hospitals perform thousands of procedures a day.
The environmental impact of gastrointestinal endoscopy (GIE) procedures is significantly higher, notes an India-based study conducted at AIG Hospitals between May 29 and June 10, 2023.
The researchers said they analysed data from 3,873 procedures performed on 3,244 patients and examined seven factors: electricity and water consumption, medical waste, patient travel, transport of medical gases, endoscope usage, accessories, and disinfectants.
The study titled "Carbon footprinting and environmental impact of gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures at a tertiary care institution: a prospective multi-dimensional assessment,” was published in the Gut journal, in line with the GHG Protocol.
According to the study, every procedure produced an average of 38.45 kg CO2e. Though it seems smaller when individually analysed, the amount becomes enormous when factoring in the thousands of procedures performed on patients annually.
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For example, suppose a hospital carries out 10,000 endoscopies per year. The total emissions would reach 384,500 kg CO₂e, which would require about 17,500 mature trees to offset.
Patient travel accounts for 83.09% of total emissions, says the study. This calls for immediate steps on better healthcare accessibility, telemedicine options, or, localised services to reduce unnecessary travel. Also, the report noted that 25.7% of medical waste could be recycled, reducing emissions by 380 kg CO2e in a fortnight.
The researchers said that in order to minimise the carbon footprint of GIE procedures, there are a few concreate and impactful steps that the hospital officials could practise, like optimising resource use, reducing repeat procedures, and improving waste management, as well as exploring non-invasive alternatives where possible.
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Dr. Hardik Rughwani, lead researcher, said: “This study is a crucial step in addressing the environmental impact of high-volume procedures like gastrointestinal endoscopy. By highlighting their carbon footprint, we aim to drive change in healthcare practices.
"The findings stress the need to optimise resource use, promote recycling, and explore non-invasive alternatives. We hope this research inspires healthcare providers and policymakers to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to global climate change mitigation.”
They also suggested that hospitals should set up their own sustainability departments, supervised by experts in green healthcare practices, to increase sustainability in the healthcare sector and improve patient care quality.
To learn more about the study, click here.
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Source: The Indian Express
