A scoping review of sustainable strategies adopted in nuclear medicine

Sustainable development is an approach that must be applied to all areas within healthcare, especially those in constant technological development, such as nuclear medicine. The aim of this study was to scope the literature to identify knowledge gaps in the sustainable development of the nuclear medicine field.

The Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews was employed. A search strategy was conducted in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and Web of Science in December 2024 using Mesh terms and keywords related to sustainability development and nuclear medicine. Three independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full text. Four authors performed the data extraction and analysis.

A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority originated from Spain, and most were published in 2022 and 2023. Studies were categorised by procedure type: 33.3 % focused on therapy, 9.7 % on PET imaging, 33.3 % on diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and 18.1 % on SPECT imaging. They were also categorised by location to include research conducted in hospital settings (n = 23), non-hospital settings (n = 8), both (n = 4) or none (n = 1). Reviewed studies implemented sustainability measures across the sustainability pillars: environmental (n = 30), economic (n = 12), and social (n = 9) pillars.

This scoping review has highlighted the growing interest in sustainability, within the nuclear medicine field. Findings indicate that there is a strong emphasis on reducing environmental impact, with efforts such as waste minimisation, implementation of alternative discharge methods, and radionuclide extraction systems gaining popularity; however, further evidence is needed to understand the economic and social impact of nuclear medicine procedures.

The scoping review identified a range of strategies focused on mitigating the adverse impact on the environment and working towards efficient economic and social resources, to foster sustainable practices in nuclear medicine.