Sustainability in intensive and emergency care : Anationwide survey by the German Society of Medical Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine

Abstract

The impact of climate change on humans is well known. However, the health care system is also arelevant contributor, accounting for up to 5-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and work should be adapted to be more sustainable. The survey investigated whether sustainability plays arole in hospitals and specifically in the field of emergency and intensive care. Concrete measures and which hurdles are already recognized were also inquired. The "AG Nachhaltigkeit" (working group on sustainability) of the "Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internistische Intensivmedizin und Notfallmedizin" (DGIIN) conducted an electronic survey among the staff of intensive care units, emergency rooms, and ambulance services in Germany. In all, 218 survey results were included in the analysis: 108(50%) participants were from the nursing sector and 98(45%) belonged to the medical staff. The majority of participants work in an intensive care unit (181 [83%]) followed by intermediate care unit (52[24%]). A total of 104 (47%) participants indicated that their workplace had already implemented sustainability measures. However, when asked whether decision-makers in the workplaces incorporate sustainability into their decisions, management scored highest with only 20%. Potential for improvement is seen in energy and waste management, among others. The survey results show that (1)employees are highly motivated to address the issue of sustainability and to implement measures, (2)the potential to establish aresource-saving and environmentally friendly hospital is far from being exhausted, and (3)it must become apriority that decision-makers in the hospital propagate sustainability, make processes transparent, and support the motivation of employees on the subject of sustainability. In addition, this process must be supported by politicians and health insurance companies.