Report raises concern over proper medical
waste management and safety within healthcare organizations and
at-home care
BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Dec. 5, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Stericycle, Inc. (Nasdaq: SRCL), a leading
provider of medical waste management and secure information
destruction solutions, today released its third annual Healthcare
Workplace Safety Trend Report revealing how providers and
administrators in the U.S. view health and safety in their
organizations and its impact on peers, patients and surrounding
communities. New this year, the study also surveyed consumers about
their concerns with safety when seeking care. The report aims to
provide valuable insights on the challenges the industry and
patients face today and how to best help healthcare organizations
understand their safety profiles, improve workplace safety
standards, create a quality care environment and reduce impacts on
the environment.
This year's key findings found 9 in 10 of the Healthcare
Professionals (HCPs) and consumers surveyed agree that medical
waste management is important in delivering the best possible
patient care. Most of the HCPs and administrators surveyed say that
improper medical waste disposal puts the physical safety (95% HCPs;
87% administrators) and emotional well-being (79% HCPs; 85%
administrators) of HCPs at risk, and they would not be able to do
their jobs effectively without proper medical waste management (84%
HCPs; 81% administrators). However, 2 in 3 of the HCPs surveyed
said they feel they do not have a strong understanding of how their
organization disposes of medical waste and feel there could be more
training and resources available.
"Following the pandemic, the U.S. healthcare system remains
under stress but is working to address challenges and opportunities
such as the staffing shortage and the desire for increased access
to at-home care," said Cory White,
executive vice president and chief commercial officer at
Stericycle. "It is important that organizations not lose sight of
the fundamentals that impact provider satisfaction and patient
care. This year's report shows that the industry might need to
re-focus on one of those requirements — healthcare safety — to
ensure providers feel safe, well-trained and competent in their
work environments and that patients feel secure in their care."
Additional insights from the report include:
- Stress Levels Have Decreased After the Peak of the Pandemic
But Remain High: While negative feelings from HCPs have
decreased since 2021, they are still remarkably high as we continue
to face new COVID-19 variants. Sixty-three percent of the HCPs
surveyed said they are exhibiting negative feelings (e.g.,
"Stressed", "Burnt-out", "Exhausted") at work, and only a quarter
of HCPs feel "Safe" in their roles. Forty-four percent of the HCPs
surveyed are feeling worse about their level of day-to-day stress
than the previous year.
- Ongoing Staffing and Patient Challenges are Perpetuating
Burnout: Issues of understaffing, patient volume, workload,
hours and administrative burdens are the top reasons why HCPs
(primarily providers) reported feeling burnt-out, exhausted, or
distracted at work. A more troubling trend, many of the HCPs
surveyed said they believe that patients are refusing recommended
care (60%), behaving poorly (53%) and becoming combative (46%) more
frequently compared to last year. Almost two-thirds (63%) are
concerned that they will be injured at work as a result.
- Proper Disposal of Medical Waste is Essential but
Misunderstood: While 95% of the HCPs surveyed agree that
improper disposal of medical waste puts the physical safety of HCP
workers at risk, only 33% strongly agree that they have a solid
understanding of how their organization handles this type of waste.
Improper handling and disposal are recognized as major concerns,
which can negatively impact both the safety of workers and
patients, but a shortage of personnel is hindering the possibility
of top-quality care.
- Risks to the Environment Cannot Be Overlooked:
Over 90% of the HCPs surveyed agree that improper
medical/biohazardous waste management can harm the
environment and/or have long-lasting impacts on health and
well-being. Despite recognizing the harmful impacts on the
environment, 37% of the HCPs said they do not believe
their organizations are doing enough to reduce those impacts. Many
do not believe their organizations have innovative practices (60%)
or enough staff and monetary resources for proper regulated
medical/biohazardous waste disposal (59%).
- The Rise of At-Home Care Generates New Challenges For
Healthcare Workers: Nearly all HCPs surveyed
agree that at-home care settings introduce new challenges for
proper disposal of pharmaceutical and medical waste and the ability
to provide the best care. Unhygienic conditions, entering/working
alone, and in-home violence are seen as the three biggest risks
to HCP worker safety in at-home care settings.
- Amidst an Opioid Epidemic, Drug Diversion Requires Proactive
Measures: Alongside a worsening opioid
epidemic, 95% of the HCPs surveyed believe that
many healthcare consumers keep their leftover prescription drugs
for future use and don't know how to properly dispose of them
(93%). Many consumers are not as familiar with the dangers of drug
diversion or its impact on the opioid epidemic, with
just 77% of respondents saying that drug diversion puts the
community at risk, compared to 92% of
HCPs.
These findings emphasize the need for a greater awareness
of HCP and patient safety and what specific aspects of daily
care could be improved to protect their health and well-being.
This study surveyed 500 healthcare professionals, including 400
healthcare practitioners (those who have direct patient interaction
and currently practice as a physician, nurse, or another related
role) and 100 administrators (those who are currently at an
executive leadership or senior management level in a healthcare
organization.) Both audiences were required to work in an
organization that deals with medical waste management in some
regard, whether they are personally responsible for decision making
or not. For the first time, this study surveyed 700 healthcare
consumers as well.
For more information about Stericycle and to access the
Healthcare Workplace Safety Trend Report and multimedia
assets, visit Stericycle's website.
About Stericycle
Stericycle, Inc., is a U.S. based
business-to-business services company and leading provider of
compliance-based solutions that protects people and brands,
promotes health and well-being and safeguards the environment.
Stericycle serves customers in North
America and Europe with
solutions for regulated waste and compliance services and secure
information destruction. For more information about Stericycle,
please visit stericycle.com.
Media Contacts:
Media Relations
Stericycle, Inc.
media@stericycle.com
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SOURCE Stericycle