About this Course

This course addresses the global challenge of reducing medical waste by promoting the transition to a circular economy in healthcare settings. It is designed for a broad audience including hospital staff, management, product users, buyers, and policymakers. By integrating business cases and real-world expertise, this course fosters sustainable practices that not only reduce waste streams and costs but also alleviate supply chain pressures.

Participants will gain a thorough understanding of circular economy concepts within a hospital context, learn strategic applications, and establish frameworks like the green team to integrate sustainable processes vibrant(connect)ly.

Course Highlights

Institution: DelftX

Subject: Biology & Life Sciences

Level: Intermediate

Prerequisites: None required

Language: English

Video Transcript: Available in English

Associated programs: Professional Certificate in Circular Strategies for Sustainable Healthcare

Associated Skills: Staff Management, Supply Chain, Biomedical Waste

Accreditation: Dutch Association for Specialists in Sterile Medical Tools (VDSMH) & Dutch Association for Hospital Instrumentation Technicians (VZI)

What You'll Learn

• Understand the fundamentals of a circular economy specifically in a hospital context.
• Apply circular strategies tailored for healthcare environments using models like the Butterfly Diagram.
• Form and manage a green team to lead sustainability initiatives within healthcare institutions.
• Identify, analyze, and propose strategic actions to significantly reduce medical waste.

Course Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction to Circular Healthcare Economy

• Transition from linear to circular models in healthcare.
• Exploring the Butterfly Diagram as a system for sustainability.
• Impact of EU Climate Law and Green Deal on healthcare.

Week 2: Strategies for Circular Healthcare

• Implementation of various circular strategies (e.g., Maintenance, Reuse).
• Transformation of healthcare practices to support circularity.

Week 3: Setting up a Green Team

• Design, foundations, and staff engagement for a successful green team.

Week 4: Urban Mining in Hospitals

• Identifying and implementing urban mining opportunities within the hospital setting.

Week 5: Reducing Waste in Healthcare

• Techniques and strategies to analyze and reduce waste.

Week 6: Formulating Recommendations

• Developing effective proposals to minimize waste.

Week 7: Course Summary and Further Resources

• Review key concepts, takeaways and explore additional materials for extended learning.

Who Should Enroll

This course is suited for healthcare professionals, hospital administrators, sustainability officers, and anyone interested in learning about sustainable practices within the healthcare sector.

Real-World Application

Skills gained in this course can be applied to enhance sustainability in various healthcare settings. Implementing circular economy strategies not only supports environmental conservation but also leads to financial savings and heightened resource security in medical facilities.