Sustainability across the Medical Device Lifecycle: A Scoping Review

Luis Montesinos, Pedro Checa Rifá, Mireya Rifá Fabregat, Javier Maldonado-Romo, Stefano Capacci, Alessia Maccaro and Davide Piaggio ()
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Luis Montesinos: Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City 14380, Mexico
Pedro Checa Rifá: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Mireya Rifá Fabregat: European Network of Safety and Health Professional Organizations, Bracheweg 11, 23569 Lübeck, Germany
Javier Maldonado-Romo: Institute of Advanced Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City 14380, Mexico
Stefano Capacci: Longevity Partners, 5th Floor, One, St. Paul’s Churchyard, London EC4M 8AP, UK
Alessia Maccaro: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Davide Piaggio: School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-25

Abstract: Medical devices are instrumental in servicing the healthcare sector and promoting well-being in modern societies. However, their production and use contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, thus causing indirect harm to global health. With a share of approximately 4.4% of global emissions, the healthcare sector exhales CO 2 throughout its value chain; sources of this range from direct electricity consumption and water heating in healthcare facilities to the supply chains delivering healthcare services and products. Within this context, the environmental impact of medical devices is present across their production, distribution, usage, and eventual disposal. Each step in the lifecycle of medical devices consumes energy and natural resources, and the end product, after its often single use, is discarded, generating plastic or electronic waste. This study aims to present the key findings from a scoping review of academic research on the topic, which focuses on reducing the environmental impact of medical devices and equipment. The review, conducted according to the PRISMA checklist for scoping reviews, examined 41 studies and categorised them based on the lifecycle stages of medical devices (design and development, manufacturing, usage, and end of life) and the sustainability aspects (economic, environmental, and social) discussed by the authors. The findings suggest that while efforts have been made to enhance economic and environmental sustainability throughout the design, development, and usage of medical devices, there is still room for improvement in mitigating their ecological impact at the end of their lifecycle and maximising their social impact by design.

Keywords: sustainability; medical devices; sustainable healthcare; sustainable development goals; circular economy; frugal engineering (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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