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In the NHS, criteria for the selection and purchase of medical devices tend to be restricted to concerns about any risks to patients and/or staff during clinical practice, and the purchase price. In addition, the basis for taking many of these decisions about purchase may be only that of personal opinion, anecdote or limited information. We report on the application of life-cycle assessment (LCA) to a particular medical device — the suction receptacle — as a case-study to determine the potential of LCA to improve the range and quality of information available for decision-making, and act as a framework for a more holistic approach. Using LCA, substantial environmental and economic burdens were found to be associated with the different product systems in use (durable versus disposable devices). We discuss the ways in which various stakeholders in the healthcare sector could use this information, at both a strategic and operational level. We also outline possible future developments of LCA that would support healthcare managers in the drive towards evidence-based decision-making.
Ison et al. (2000) studied this question.