Article type
Abstract
Introduction
Sustainability of healthcare systems has become a central issue during recent years. However, most of the research that has been performed so far focuses on economic sustainability, overlooking other key dimensions such as social and environmental. Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes, systems, structures and relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create healthy and liveable communities. A scoping review to synthesize the available evidence on social sustainability of healthcare systems was conducted.
Objective
Aim of this work is to synthesize evidence on social sustainability in healthcare and explore the current role of a specific dimension of it: the role of civil society organizations in fostering social sustainability.
Methods
We searched Scopus (from 2015 to 2022) for all English, free full text articles and reviews addressing social sustainability strategies and measures applied on or by the healthcare systems. We excluded articles that were not focused on healthcare systems World Health Organization (WHO) building blocks. Additionally, the articles are categorized using a framework developed using the main topics of the paper related to social sustainability.
Results
A total of 938 articles were retrieved. After screening, 165 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles are categorized using WHO building blocks. Most of them referred to health workforce and service delivery. The included studies explored the following dimensions identified as referring to social sustainability in healthcare: 62 (37%) articles focused on healthcare-related community topics such as patient education, workforce satisfaction and employment, 26 (15%) on technologies and infrastructures such as buildings, telemedicine and artificial intelligence, and 77 (49%) on evidence and strategies for sustainable governance system such as third sector engagement, sustainable development, assessment, planning and monitoring, and access to services.
Conclusion
Our scoping review has highlighted how research in recent years has focused on sustainable health issues. A minority share concerns sustainability through the assessment of human resources, patients’ wellbeing and healthcare infrastructures. Therefore, the findings of this study provide evidence about the necessity of designing a comprehensive, flexible framework to assess and plan social sustainability of healthcare systems and programs.
Sustainability of healthcare systems has become a central issue during recent years. However, most of the research that has been performed so far focuses on economic sustainability, overlooking other key dimensions such as social and environmental. Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes, systems, structures and relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create healthy and liveable communities. A scoping review to synthesize the available evidence on social sustainability of healthcare systems was conducted.
Objective
Aim of this work is to synthesize evidence on social sustainability in healthcare and explore the current role of a specific dimension of it: the role of civil society organizations in fostering social sustainability.
Methods
We searched Scopus (from 2015 to 2022) for all English, free full text articles and reviews addressing social sustainability strategies and measures applied on or by the healthcare systems. We excluded articles that were not focused on healthcare systems World Health Organization (WHO) building blocks. Additionally, the articles are categorized using a framework developed using the main topics of the paper related to social sustainability.
Results
A total of 938 articles were retrieved. After screening, 165 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles are categorized using WHO building blocks. Most of them referred to health workforce and service delivery. The included studies explored the following dimensions identified as referring to social sustainability in healthcare: 62 (37%) articles focused on healthcare-related community topics such as patient education, workforce satisfaction and employment, 26 (15%) on technologies and infrastructures such as buildings, telemedicine and artificial intelligence, and 77 (49%) on evidence and strategies for sustainable governance system such as third sector engagement, sustainable development, assessment, planning and monitoring, and access to services.
Conclusion
Our scoping review has highlighted how research in recent years has focused on sustainable health issues. A minority share concerns sustainability through the assessment of human resources, patients’ wellbeing and healthcare infrastructures. Therefore, the findings of this study provide evidence about the necessity of designing a comprehensive, flexible framework to assess and plan social sustainability of healthcare systems and programs.