Healthcare Sustainability Evaluation Systems

Abstract

Many different evaluation systems are today available to assess buildings’ performance. Concerning sustainability, especially of healthcare structures, the most widely recognized and commonly used systems are the American LEED, the British BREEAM and, within the Italian reality, the ITACA system; all of these are then surrounded by other minor management evaluation systems. So after a deep analysis of the state of the art, focusing in particular on the previously mentioned evaluation systems, it was possible to identify the main strengths and weaknesses of such tools with respect to the Sustainable Healthcare’s project final objective. An interesting starting point is their hierarchic structure, employing a scoring system based on appropriately weighted credits. Undoubtedly though, these evaluating instruments focus on the built structure and its environmental impact, lacking in multidisciplinarity and in considering all the three spheres of sustainability, not including, for instance, neither user-centrality, health outcomes, nor managerial issues. The research analyses also the Joint Commission International accreditation, that works with healthcare organizations, governments and international advocates to promote rigorous standards of care and provide solutions for achieving peak performance. In fact, its goal is to improve the efficiency quality and safety in healthcare.