Effective Medical Waste Management for Sustainable Green Healthcare.

This study examines the importance of medical waste management activities for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. This study applied a multiple methodological approach as follows. A thorough review of the literature was performed to delineate the factors that have been explored for reducing medical waste; hospital staff who handle medical waste were surveyed to obtain their opinions on these factors; the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the priorities among the identified key factors; and experts' opinions were consulted to assess the actual applicability of the results derived by the AHP. The study identified the following factors as the most important: medical waste management (26.6%), operational management issues (21.7%), training for medical waste management procedures (17.8%), raising awareness (17.5%), and environmental assessment (16.4%). This study analyzed the contributing factors to the generation of medical waste based on the data collected from medical staff and the AHP for developing a sustainable green healthcare environment. The study results provide theoretical and practical implications for implementing effective medical waste management toward a sustainable green healthcare environment.

Developing Green Healthcare Activities in the Total Quality Management Framework.

This study examines the effectiveness of green healthcare activities in hospitals based on the total quality management (TQM) framework. The proposed research model and associated hypotheses were tested using structural equations modeling based on the data collected from 261 employees at general hospitals in South Korea. The results of the study revealed that the role of top management is essential for the successful implementation of green healthcare activities through motivating employees for their active participation in the program, providing continuous education and training on the importance of environmental sustainability, and diligent monitoring of the progress at the organization level. The study findings provide theoretical and practical implications on strategic approaches to planning and implementing green healthcare activities in hospitals for the greater good.

Opportunities and challenges for contactless healthcare services in the post-COVID-19 Era.

This study examines the opportunities and challenges involved with contactless healthcare services in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. First, we reviewed the literature to analyze contactless or contact-free healthcare services that have been utilized in pre-and during the COVID-19 pandemic periods. Then, we interviewed medical experts and hospital administrators to gain knowledge about how healthcare providers are currently working to mitigate the spread of COVID and preparing for the post-pandemic period. Thus, we analyzed the evolution and utilization of contactless services during the three different time periods: pre-, during-, and post-COVID-19. The results indicated that in the post-COVID-19 era, a new normal of hybrid healthcare services would emerge. While some of the contactless services that have been practiced during the pandemic may revert to the traditional face-to-face services, those innovative contactless healthcare services that have been proven effective during the pandemic would be practiced or even advanced in the post-pandemic period due to the accelerating technological developments. This study suggests many potential opportunities and daunting challenges for healthcare institutions, policymakers, and consumers regarding the implementation of contactless services in the post-COVID-19 era.

Application of Artificial Intelligence-Based Technologies in the Healthcare Industry: Opportunities and Challenges.

This study examines the current state of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology applications and their impact on the healthcare industry. In addition to a thorough review of the literature, this study analyzed several real-world examples of AI applications in healthcare. The results indicate that major hospitals are, at present, using AI-enabled systems to augment medical staff in patient diagnosis and treatment activities for a wide range of diseases. In addition, AI systems are making an impact on improving the efficiency of nursing and managerial activities of hospitals. While AI is being embraced positively by healthcare providers, its applications provide both the utopian perspective (new opportunities) and the dystopian view (challenges to overcome). We discuss the details of those opportunities and challenges to provide a balanced view of the value of AI applications in healthcare. It is clear that rapid advances of AI and related technologies will help care providers create new value for their patients and improve the efficiency of their operational processes. Nevertheless, effective applications of AI will require effective planning and strategies to transform the entire care service and operations to reap the benefits of what technologies offer.

Lessons Learned from Battling COVID-19: The Korean Experience.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world like a gigantic tsunami, turning social and economic activities upside down. METHODS: This paper presents some of the innovative response strategies implemented by the public health system, healthcare facilities, and government in South Korea, which has been hailed as the model country for its success in containing COVID-19. Korea reinvented its public health infrastructure with a sense of urgency. RESULTS: Korea's success rests on its readiness, with the capacity for massive testing and obtaining prompt test results, effective contact tracing based on its world-leading mobile technologies, timely provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) to first responders, effective treatment of infected patients, and invoking citizens' community and civic conscience for the shared goal of defeating the pandemic. The lessons learned from Korea's response in countering the onslaught of COVID-19 provide unique implications for public healthcare administrators and operations management practitioners. CONCLUSION: Since many epidemic experts warn of a second wave of COVID-19, the lessons learned from the first wave will be a valuable resource for responding to the resurgence of the virus.