Evaluating a one-year orthopaedic medical equipment donation pilot program

The healthcare system generates significant waste, revealing immense inefficiencies in resource allocation and contributing to adverse environmental effects. Orthopaedic surgery has a disproportionately high use of assistive devices such as braces, crutches, and other durable medical equipment (DME) which are critical to maintaining appropriate weight bearing status or enabling functional activities at home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the viability and outcomes of launching a DME reusability program within outpatient an orthopaedic practice during a one-year span.

A single outpatient orthopaedic surgery clinic affiliated with a major academic medical center in the United States was chosen as a pilot program site. DME donations were recorded from April 2024 through April 2025. Patients were educated on the program at their clinic visit and were provided with the option to donate used equipment onsite. The equipment was inspected, cleaned, and donated to a local non-profit organization which serves local and international communities.

Over a one-year span, the program gathered and donated a total of 213 items. The most common items collected were CAM walking boots (n = 75), crutches (n = 37), and post-operative cast shoes (n = 21).

This study demonstrated the viability of a DME donation program within an outpatient orthopaedic surgical clinic. Our pilot program generated a large volume of DME and would be easily replicable at other sites. In doing so, there is tremendous potential to minimize healthcare-associated waste, decrease patient financial burden, and improve access to care locally and globally.