Higher Intensity Quality Improvement Campaign Yields Greater Reduction in Medical Glove Use: The "Gloves Off!"...

The healthcare sector contributes 5.4-7.0% of Australia's total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Among the most ubiquitous items used in healthcare organisations, whether it be hospital, clinic, or community health centres, are gloves.

We reviewed two case studies of the "Gloves Off!" sustainability initiative to compare reduction in glove use and improvement in hand hygiene practice-one that featured a "low-intensity" campaign (Hospital A) and the other a "high-intensity" campaign (Hospital B).

A comparison of glove use over the year before and after implementation of the Gloves Off! campaign shows that Hospital A achieved a 2.6% reduction (0.4% reduction per patient), while Hospital B achieved an 11.4% reduction in total glove consumption (7.8% reduction in glove use per patient).

Sustainability initiatives can be initiated within busy emergency departments with reduced unnecessary use of nonsterile gloves, decreased CO2 emissions, and cost savings.