Circular Economy in Health Care and Patient Safety: Challenges and Solutions

BACKGROUND: The health care sector makes a substantial contribution to the ecological burden on health in part through the generation of large volumes of medical waste. Incorporating the principles of the circular economy-particularly the reuse of medical equipment-has become an important topic of discussion. This manuscript examines the principles of reusing medical materials and the potential implications for patient safety after appropriate reconditioning. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative data from the existing literature were used to guide a discussion of a multidisciplinary panel of experts in ethics, clinical practice, environmental sustainability, hospital waste management, and health economics. The consequences of reusing medical equipment for patient infections were investigated through a detailed literature review. RESULTS: On the basis of this multidisciplinary approach, we found that when selected medical equipment is adequately reconditioned for reuse, patient safety is not endangered. CONCLUSIONS: A central rationale for the use of single-use medical materials is the assumption that they improve patient safety. Our findings suggest that the economic and ecological benefits of reusing medical materials outweigh the potential risks to patient safety.