Systematic Literature Review: Sustainable Development in Health Care

Introduction

A health care system categorized as sustainable is the one that insists on the delivery of quality health care and enhanced public health devoid of the danger of wearing out natural resources or damaging the ecological system. A sustainable health care system can also be said to have the potential of working without jeopardizing the existing social and environmental reserves defending and enhancing health, now and for prospective generations. Healthcare providers have the responsibility of ensuring they comprehend all the available challenges that may hinder the effective provision of sustainable healthcare. Plans should thus be implemented to ensure that healthcare provision does not impact negatively on the environment. This is important because of the relationship between the environment and health. It is worth noting that an environment that is not healthy can lead to unhealthy citizens. When the environment is affected, it is probable that the community living within that environment is also at risk of suffering from, say, respiratory ailments. Thus, it can be seen that health is related to the environment and more needs to be done to ensure that the provision of quality health care remains sustainable.

Background

Canada has formulated strategies to ensure that sustainability in health care is attained. The Conference Board of Canada (2016) asserts that Canada has experienced extensive debate regarding the potential of having a sustainable healthcare in Canada. There is a section of people that believe that Canada’s health care system is sustainable whereas there are those that believe that the health care system is yet to attain sustainability. However, the effectiveness of the debate has been surrounded by contradicting ideological positions regarding payment and delivery of health care. The right political ideologists assert that health care charges continue to rise and this hinders the attainment of sustainable healthcare. This ideology has been used to propose reforms that are aimed at privatizing services delivery and options that citizens should meet the costs of health care individually. On the contrary, the left political ideologists suggest that citizens can meet the health care costs they need. However, these ideologists continue to argue that citizens need to be vigilant in case the enduring commitment toward a sustainable health care is undone, especially if it gets to a point where individual means do not institute access to health services.

The Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC) for example, is an organization dedicated to the providing of excellent insights to policy-makers and business leaders about the probability of attaining sustainability in healthcare (The Conference Board of Canada 2016). The CASHC, for example, attains its objectives by engaging in open dialogue concerning research about sustainability in health care and how sustainability may affect the entire health care system in Canada.

It emerges that health care spending in Canada is outpacing growth in Canadian government programs and economic development. It can be observed that healthcare spending will consume over a half of the government’s total revenue from the majority of the provinces. According to the Conference Board of Canada (2005), some provinces may even be spending more than 70 percent of their budget on health care by 2022. Thus, it can be seen that there are high probabilities provinces may forfeit their other development programs because of the hefty percentages of the budget being consumed by health care programs.

As Canada strives to engage in the attainment of sustainability in its health care provision, it is emerging that it has been struggling with efficiency especially concerning drug availability (Stanbrook and Killeen 2012). It elicits that Canada constantly faces drug shortages, which would negatively affect the attainment of sustainability, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmacies play significant roles in the provision of medication to patients and therefore, it is important to ensure that drugs are always available to enhance effective service delivery. Thus, the realization that Canada experiences drug shortages is important and needs to be solved to avoid negative effects in the future.

Justification

The observation that Canada constantly faces drug shortage is serious and needs to be handled effectively if sustainability is to be attained. The attainment of sustainability in health care may be hindered if drugs, which are critical in health care, cannot be accessed easily. Therefore, there is a need to ensure that the problem of drug shortage is solved. Technology will be employed to alleviate this problem and it has been chosen based on crucial observations. Technology, firstly, according to Kyratsis, Ahmad, and Holmes (2012) is significant in the promotion of efficiency by enhancing the speedy delivery of drugs. Secondly, technology can be used to forecast and plan to detect probabilities of drug shortage. In the healthcare department, it would be significant to plan and ensure that drugs are acquired before they run out to avoid situations where patients have to do without drugs because of shortages. The use of technology would enhance drug acquisition by enhancing efficient procurement and delivery. Mathematical computations can be carried out to evaluate the type of drugs that are most prevalent based on patients’ diseases and then come up with formulas for when a certain drug contingent would be expected to run out.

Research objectives and questions

The objectives of this research include;

  • To increase efficiency through the application of technology in pharmaceutical company.
  • To reduce drug shortage through the application of technology.

Methodology

To ascertain the effect and impact of technology in the enhancement of efficiency in healthcare, it will be important to learn from other companies that have utilized technology. This means that the research will use surveys to evaluate the impact of technology in businesses, especially in regard to improving efficiency.

Hypothesis

  1. One of the hypotheses is that the use of technology improves efficiency.
  2. The application of technology would reduce the drug shortage.
  3. The application of technology would elevate service delivery and efficiency.

Anticipated outcomes

Regarding technology and drug shortage, it is expected that the application of technology would reduce drug shortage through the application of mechanisms that compute drug usage frequency based on a provided contingent. Health care providers would be provided with ample time to order for drugs before the initial batch runs out.

In regard to efficiency, it is expected that technological application would enhance speedy service recovery, leading to elimination of delays and thus, heightened efficiency.

Analysis and discussion

From the research, it can be observed that the issue of application of technology is significant in firms because it enhances efficiency. Firms that have applied technology have experienced changes in the enhancement of service delivery and enhanced efficiency. Technology has increased the speed at which firms would react to changes in the market leading to elimination of lead-time. It also enhances that service delivery and efficiency are enhanced in the supply chain, where the entire process has to be efficient to avoid delays.

Conclusion

It can be concluded that sustainability is significant in health care service delivery. The current sustainability debate in Canada has taken a political perspective with the promotion of political ideologies that lean towards the right or left political ideologies. However, it emerges that sustainability in Canada’s healthcare is necessary and significant because of the role it will play of eliminating drug shortages; based on the observation that Canada continues to experience drug shortages. The application of surveys shows that firms that have applied technology have enjoyed improved efficiency and enhanced service delivery.

References

  1. Ancker, J. S., Keren, L. M., Abramson, E., and Kaushal, R. (2012) ‘The Triangle Model for evaluating the effect of health information technology on healthcare quality and safety,’ Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 19(1), pp. 61-65.
  2. Avancha, S., Baxi, A., and Kotz, D. (2012) ‘Privacy in mobile technology for personal healthcare,’ ACM Computing Surveys, 45(1), Doi>10.1145/2379776.2379779
  3. Buffoli, M., Capolongo, S., Bottero, M., Cavagliato, E., Speranza, S., and Volpatti, L. (2013) ‘Sustainable healthcare: how to assess and improve healthcare structures’ sustainability,’ Ann Ig, 25, pp. 411-418.
  4. Campion, N., Thiel, C. L., Woods, N. C., Swanzy, L., Landis, A. E., Bilec, M. M. (2015) ‘Sustainable healthcare and environmental life-cycle impacts of disposable supplies: a focus on disposable custom packs,’ Journal of Cleaner Production, 94(1), pp. 46-55.
  5. Chandra, A., and Skinner, J. (2012) ‘Technology growth and expenditure growth in healthcare,’ Journal of Economic Literature, 50(3), pp. 645-680.
  6. Chen, D. Q., Preston, D. S., and Xia, W. (2013) ‘Enhancing hospital supply chain performance: A relational view and empirical test,’ Journal of Operations Management, 31(6), pp. 391-408.
  7. Chew, S., Armstrong, N., and Martin, G. (2013) ‘Institutionalising knowledge brokering as a sustainable knowledge translation solution in healthcare: how can it work in practice?’ Evidence & Policy: A Journal of Research, Debate and Practice, 9(3), pp. 335-351.
  8. Coustasse, A., Tomblin, S., and Slack, C. (2013) ‘Impact of Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies on the hospital supply chain: A literature review,’ Perspectives in Health Information Management, >
  9. De Weerdt, E., Simoens, S., Hombroeckx, L., Casteels, M., and Huys, I. (2015) ‘Causes of drug shortages in the legal pharmaceutical framework,’ Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 71(2), pp. 251-258.
  10. Dobrzykowski, D., Deilami, V. S., Hong, P., and Kim, S-C. (2014) ‘A structured analysis of operations and supply chain management research in healthcare (1982–2011),’ International Journal of Production Economics, 147, pp. 514-530.
  11. Ellinger, A., Shin, H., Northington, W. M., Adams, F. G., Hofman, F. G., O’Marah, K. (2012) ‘The influence of supply chain management competency on customer satisfaction and shareholder value,’ Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 17(3), pp. 249-262.
  12. Griffith et al. (2015), ‘Prospective approach to managing antimicrobial drug shortages,’ Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 33(7), pp. 745-752.
  13. Health Canada. (2012) Planning for a sustainable future: Health Canada’s 2011-2014 sustainable development strategy-Performance report for 2011-12 [PDF], Available at: < [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016].
  14. Health Canada. (2016) Sustainable development [Online], Available at: < [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016].
  15. Heckmann, I., Comes, T., and Nickel, S. (2015) ‘A critical review on supply chain risk – Definition, measure and modeling,’ Omega, 52, pp. 119-132.
  16. Ker, J-I., Wang, Y., Hajli, M. N., Song, J., and Ker, C. W. (2014) ‘Deploying lean in healthcare: Evaluating information technology effectiveness in U.S. hospital pharmacies,’ International Journal of Information Management, 34(4), pp. 556-560.
  17. Kyratsis, Y., Ahmad, R., and Holmes, A. (2012) ‘Technology adoption and implementation in organisations: comparative case studies of 12 English NHS Trusts,’ BMJ, 2(2), pp. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000872
  18. Low, C., and Chen, Y. H. (2012) ‘Criteria for the evaluation of a cloud-based hospital information system outsourcing provider,’ Journal of Medical Systems, 36(6), pp. 3543-3553.
  19. Masoumi, A. H., Yu, M., and Nagurney, A. (2012) ‘A supply chain generalized network oligopoly model for pharmaceuticals under brand differentiation and perishability,’ Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 48(4), pp. 762-780.
  20. McLaughlin et al. (2013) ‘Effects on patient care caused by drug shortages: A Survey,’ Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy, 19(9), pp. 783-788.
  21. Mithas, S., Tafti, A. R., Bardhan, I., and Goh, J. M. (2012) ‘Information Technology and Firm Profitability: Mechanisms and Empirical Evidence,’ MIS Quarterly, 36(1), pp. 205-224.
  22. Narayana, S. A., Pati, R. K., and Vrat, P. (2014) ‘Managerial research on the pharmaceutical supply chain – A critical review and some insights for future directions,’ Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 20(1), pp. 18-40.
  23. Phichitchaisopa, N., and Naenna, T. (2013) ‘Factors affecting the adoption of healthcare information technology,’ EXCLI Journal, 12, pp. 413-436.
  24. Rosoff et al. (2012) ‘Coping with critical drug shortages an ethical approach for allocating scarce resources in hospitals,’ JAMA Internal Medicine, 172(19), pp. 1494-1499.
  25. Singleton, R., Chubbs, K., Flynn, J., Kaposy, C., Peckham, G., Penney, J., and Pullman, D. (2012) ‘From framework to the frontline: Designing a structure and process for drug supply shortage,’ Journal of Communication Inquiry, 26(1), pp. 41-45.
  26. Southard, P. B., Chandra, C., and Kumar, S. (2012) ‘RFID in healthcare: a Six Sigma DMAIC and simulation case study,’ International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 25(4), pp. 291-321.
  27. Stanbrook, M. B., and Killeen, R. M. (2012) ‘Canada falls short on safeguarding its drug supply,’ Canadian Pharmacists Journal, 145(5), pp. 197-199.
  28. Stuart, N., and Adams, J. (2007) ‘The sustainability of Canada’s healthcare system: A framework for advancing the debate,’ Healthcare Quarterly, 10(2), pp. 96-103.
  29. Sustainable Development Unit. (2016) Sustainable development strategy for the health and social care system 2014-2020 [Online], Available at: < [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016].
  30. Teagarden, J. R., and Epstein, R. S. (2012) ‘Pharmacy benefit managers and their obligations during serious prescription drug shortages,’ Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 93, pp. 143-145.
  31. The Conference Board of Canada. (2016) The Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC) [Online], Available at: < [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016].
  32. The Conference Board of Canada. (2016b) About Canadian Alliance for Sustainable Health Care (CASHC) [Online], Available at: < [Accessed 18 Nov. 2016].
  33. Unertl, K. M., Johnson, K. B., and Lorenzi, N. M. (2012) ‘Health information exchange technology on the front lines of healthcare: Workflow factors and patterns of use,’ Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 19(3), pp. 392-400.
  34. VanVactor, J. D. (2012) ‘Collaborative leadership model in the management of health care,’ Journal of Business Research, 65(4), pp. 555-561.
  35. Wamba, S. F. (2012) ‘RFID-Enabled healthcare applications, issues and benefits: An archival analysis (1997-2011),’ Journal of Medical Systems, 36(6), pp. 3393-3398.
  36. Wamba, S. F., Anand, A., and Carter, L. (2013) ‘A literature review of RFID-enabled healthcare applications and issues,’ International Journal of Information Management, 33(5), pp. 875-891.
  37. Wang, C. J., and Huang, A. T. (2012) ‘Integrating technology into healthcare: what will it take?’ JAMA, 307(6), pp. 569-570.
  38. Woodcock, J. (2012) ‘Reliable drug quality: An unresolved problem,’ PDA Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, 66(3), pp. 270-272.
  39. Yap, L. L., and Tan, C. L. (2012) ‘The Effect of Service Supply Chain Management Practices on the Public Healthcare Organizational Performance,’ International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(16), pp. 216-224
  40. Zhivan, N. A., and Diana, M. L. (2012) ‘U.S. hospital efficiency and adoption of health information technology,’ Health Care Management Science, 15(1), pp. 37-47.