Use of environmental preference in purchasing decisions healthcare institutions

Abstract

Biggest challenge experienced by hospitals in 21st century is integrating social values into business operations. Corporate Social Responsibility is a term used for determining responsibility of a healthcare institute whereby the institute not only takes financial economic dimension in decision-making process, but it also considers social and environmental consequences.1 Healthcare institutions are required to invest socially responsible manner; this term is related with use of money in accordance with social and ethical targets. Consequently, healthcare institutions should be socially responsible not only from shareholders and employees, but also from all parties including future generations affected from operations of the institution. In a study where potential risks for healthcare institutions are investigated, corporate social responsibility level and extent of environmental sensitivity in decision-making for purchasing a good or service were revealed as a significant assessment for consumers and employees of company2. Considering healthcare institutions, strategies taking environmental and social aspects into account for purchasing decisions should be implemented and the institutions neglecting those strategies should be exposed to financial, legal and reputation risks due to their anti-environmental acts. At initiation phase for implementing environmentally preferable purchasing in healthcare institutions, policies and procedures compatible with environment should be incorporated. Individual who will ensure that those policies are followed and how they will be held responsible (for example, regular reporting) should be determined in writing monitoring those policies and how those individuals will be considered and thus, an audit process should be developed where concurrent performance will be regularly reviewed. However, it is obvious that training requirement healthcare personnel responsible from purchasing services on environmentalist policies should be fulfilled. Training is critical part of implementation. In this study, integration of social values into purchasing activities by healthcare institutions, which should be a model in terms of social responsibility and environmental conscience, is evaluated and modest recommendations on this issue are developed. © 2009 All Rights Reserved by the International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM Printed in Sofia, Bulgaria.