Writing for Waste 360, Arlene Karidis, in an article about how the healthcare industry is addressing the growing medical waste problem, does note a solution: Medical device reprocessing.
“Reprocessing medical devices is easy. There are established programs where we send them to third-party reprocessors and get a rebate or repurchase at a reduced cost,” says Katie Wickman, sustainability manager for Chicago-based Advocate Health Care.
The article notes that health systems are making progress recovering medical devices such as cardiac catheters, orthopedic blades, electrodes and blood pressure cuffs. And “space, education, time and energy [are] required of hospital staff to make the programs work.”