Healthcare providers constantly grapple with the choices they have to make to curb the spread of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). One method that is frequently employed is the disposal of medical devices after a single use instead of cleaning and reusing them. While this approach holds valuable implications for reducing infection rates, it also raises significant questions about economic feasibility and environmental sustainability.
ECRI, an internationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to enhancing patient safety and healthcare quality, has recently published a series of assessments to illuminate the issue and clarify the evidence regarding the use of disposable versus reusable medical items in hospitals. ECRI’s investigations, conducted by the ECRI-Penn Evidence-based Practice Center, centered on an exhaustive review of a broad variety of studies numbering over 2,000 and focusing mainly on devices such as hospital gowns and bedside care gadgets like laryngoscopes that are instrumental in preventing HAIs. The investigation also scrutinizes other devices and surgical items.
Each assessment report encapsulated in a graphical layout whether the evidence leading to the decision to use disposable or reusable items was definitive or still inconclusive across clinical, financial, and environmental categories. ECRI’s findings accentuate that local factors like infection rates, agreements with suppliers, the frequency of reuse, and the processes involved in reprocessing need to be integral to the decision-making process. While disposable items are often preferred owing to their seeming efficacy in preventing infection, the evidence linking this preference to infection prevention is not consistent, and the use of reusable items is also seen as advantageous from both financial and environmental viewpoints. The choice between disposable and reusable or reprocessed medical devices, ECRI stressed, is a complex balancing act necessitating a thorough evaluation of clinical outcomes, economic implications, and environmental impacts.
ECRI’s assessments are easily accessible and may be downloaded for easy reference. ECRI members can also access the assessments through their portal. ECRI acknowledges the absence of a universally applicable solution in the matter of single-use versus reusable medical devices. Hence, these assessments can provide much-needed support to hospitals, supply chain professionals, infection control teams, and sustainability officers when discerning the merits of trade-offs and finding the best fit for their organization. The study exposes gaps in the evidence especially relating to the lack of clinical outcomes and cost data in making such decisions, emphasizing the need for more research, and increased openness from manufacturers, reprocessing companies, and healthcare institutions.