Sustainable Waste Management in Healthcare: Application of Fuzzy Determination Method to Prioritize Key Influencing Factors

Background: Hospital wastes are a significant environmental and health hazard. With the increasing volume of healthcare wastes and heightened public awareness, sustainable management practices have become imperative. This study aimed to identify and prioritize key factors influencing sustainable healthcare waste management Methods: Adopting a quantitative approach, the study first identified ten critical factors through literature review. Subsequently, the fuzzy DEMATEL technique was employed to analyze and prioritize these factors. Fifteen experts from health, management, and statistics domains were purposefully selected to provide insights for this analysis. Results: The analysis categorized the factors into two groups: influential and influenced. Influential factors include fostering a green healthcare organizational culture that encourages waste recycling, promoting best practices for sustainable waste management, enhancing training programs, improving environmental awareness among healthcare workers, strategic planning for waste management, and cultivating positive attitudes toward sustainability. Influenced factors encompass establishing a supportive legal framework, developing necessary infrastructure, adopting environmentally friendly waste management technologies, and implementing environmentally conscious procurement practices. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of internal organizational culture and education in driving sustainable waste management. To mitigate health-related pollution risks, it is recommended that hospitals implement educational programs to foster positive attitudes and equip staff with appropriate waste management practices. Also, governmental bodies should enforce regulatory frameworks and conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance and effectiveness in healthcare waste management.