Environmental Sustainability for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in Healthcare Facilities

Abstract

The emergence of the novel coronavirus, increase in microbial resistance and the scarceness of vaccines for the present pandemic have made it imperative to appraise the link between the sustainable built environment and Infection control as well as the strategies employed during the pre-antibiotic period. This paper aims to identify the nexus between a sustainable built environment and infection control in healthcare facilities with the view of developing guidelines and highlighting the role of architecture in curbing the pandemic. The study relied on existing studies, interviews, and interactions with healthcare workers. The findings showed that sustainable design strategies play a significant role in infection prevention and control and could as well be a panacea for curbing the spread of Coronavirus, especially in healthcare facilities. A sustainable environment for hospitals or healthcare facilities, apart from low energy and carbon emission, needs to integrate design strategies to confront the impact of healthcare-associated infections.

Unveiling the Symbiosis of Environmental Sustainability and Infection Control in Health Care Settings: A Systematic Review

“…Effective leadership commitment emerges as essential for motivating and integrating environmental sustainability initiatives in healthcare. As Lee et al and Emmanuel et al demonstrate, leadership involvement at the administrative level is key for driving adoption of sustainable practices, overcoming barriers, and fostering a culture shift [38,41]. Their study underscores that sustainable practices in healthcare settings often require a culture shift that begins at the top, with strong leadership driving change.…”

“…Among the twelve studies analyzed [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44], in the risk of bias assessment of the included studies, varying degrees of bias risk are observed, reflecting the diversity of study designs (Figure 2). Several studies, such as Lee et al ( 2022 2021) inherently exhibit some concerns regarding randomization but generally show low risk across other bias domains [38].…”

“…Among the twelve studies analyzed [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44], in the risk of bias assessment of the included studies, varying degrees of bias risk are observed, reflecting the diversity of study designs (Figure 2). Several studies, such as Lee et al ( 2022 2021) inherently exhibit some concerns regarding randomization but generally show low risk across other bias domains [38]. Overall, the studies tend to present a moderate risk of bias, with notable exceptions like Leistner et al ( 2023), a cluster-randomized controlled crossover trial, which exhibits a low risk of bias due to its well-controlled design [36], and qualitative studies like Lesan et al ( 2021), which, within the context of qualitative research, demonstrate a low to moderate risk of bias [39].…”

“…Firstly, the studies emphasize the crucial role of healthcare management and leadership in driving sustainability initiatives. Lee et al (2022) [41] and Emmanuel et al (2021) [38] highlight how top management can motivate employees and integrate sustainable design strategies to enhance infection control. Leadership perspectives, as explored by Hegarty et al (2019) [37], can guide systematic approaches to implementation despite the complexities involved in sustainability and infection control.…”

“…The studies recognize the intrinsic link between sustainable healthcare environments and infection control. Emmanuel et al (2021) [38] and Leistner et al (2023) [36] explore the potential of sustainable design strategies, such as probiotic cleaning and environmentally friendly practices, in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Lesan et al (2021) [39] delves into the layout and configuration of healthcare spaces, demonstrating how proper zoning and patient separation can significantly impact infection control during pandemics.…”