Thursday, October 5, 2023
The healthcare sector holds a significant responsibility for maintaining people's health and ensuring a healthy living environment. However, with a total CO2 footprint of 7% in the Netherlands, the healthcare industry contributes significantly to climate change. A drastic transition is required to make the entire healthcare sector more sustainable.
To promote research into the greening of healthcare, the LDE Center for Sustainability and Medical Delta have organized an interdisciplinary Thesis Lab for the third year in a row—this time expanding from 'Hospitals' to 'Healthcare'. This year, students from the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences can also enroll in the program. Master's students and students from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences can choose from various sustainability issues within the healthcare sector. During their thesis research, they will receive guidance from field experts, have the opportunity to go on on-site visits, attend guest lectures, and exchange experiences with fellow students.
What do ambulance personnel discard?
Last year, LDE and Medical Delta challenged students to define concrete steps that can be taken today to make a hospital more environmentally friendly. This year, the Thesis Lab expands to encompass the entire healthcare sector and looks beyond the hospital walls. Students are tasked with creating an action plan for (hospital) management. The key question is: What steps can we take today to make healthcare more ecologically sustainable for our future? If we know which steps can be taken today, why aren't they being taken? What are the barriers, risks, and opportunities for sustainable healthcare? The goal of the Thesis Lab is to recommend solutions to relevant stakeholders. Therefore, the students' work will lead to a real impact on a more sustainable healthcare sector.
How can we reduce the environmental impact of AI in healthcare? What is the impact of contrast agents used in MRI scans on surface water around a hospital? And which disposable materials used by ambulance personnel have the greatest negative environmental impact? These are some of the research questions submitted by healthcare institutions. Students can register for participation in the Thesis Lab until October 22.
More information and research questions
Read more information here
View the research questions here
Read more about research into the greening of healthcare within Medical Delta
View the results of last year's Thesis Lab
