JMIR Research Protocols (Dec 2023)

Postpandemic Evaluation of the Eco-Efficiency of Personal Protective Equipment Against COVID-19 in Emergency Departments: Proposal for a Mixed Methods Study

  • Simon Berthelot,
  • Yves Longtin,
  • Manuele Margni,
  • Jason Robert Guertin,
  • Annie LeBlanc,
  • Tania Marx,
  • Khadidiatou Mangou,
  • Ariane Bluteau,
  • Diego Mantovani,
  • Sergey Mikhaylin,
  • Frédéric Bergeron,
  • Valérie Dancause,
  • Anne Desjardins,
  • Nadia Lahrichi,
  • Danielle Martin,
  • Charles Jérôme Sossa,
  • Philippe Lachapelle,
  • Isabelle Genest,
  • Stéphane Schaal,
  • Anne Gignac,
  • Stéphane Tremblay,
  • Éric Hufty,
  • Lynda Bélanger,
  • Erica Beatty

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2196/50682
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12
p. e50682

Abstract

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BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on emergency department (ED) care in Canada and around the world. To prevent transmission of COVID-19, personal protective equipment (PPE) was required for all ED care providers in contact with suspected cases. With mass vaccination and improvements in several infection prevention components, our hypothesis is that the risks of transmission of COVID-19 will be significantly reduced and that current PPE use will have economic and ecological consequences that exceed its anticipated benefits. Evidence is needed to evaluate PPE use so that recommendations can ensure the clinical, economic, and environmental efficiency (ie, eco-efficiency) of its use. ObjectiveTo support the development of recommendations for the eco-efficient use of PPE, our research objectives are to (1) estimate the clinical effectiveness (reduced transmission, hospitalizations, mortality, and work absenteeism) of PPE against COVID-19 for health care workers; (2) estimate the financial cost of using PPE in the ED for the management of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients; and (3) estimate the ecological footprint of PPE use against COVID-19 in the ED. MethodsWe will conduct a mixed method study to evaluate the eco-efficiency of PPE use in the 5 EDs of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval (Québec, Canada). To achieve our goals, the project will include four phases: systematic review of the literature to assess the clinical effectiveness of PPE (objective 1; phase 1); cost estimation of PPE use in the ED using a time-driven activity-based costing method (objective 2; phase 2); ecological footprint estimation of PPE use using a life cycle assessment approach (objective 3; phase 3); and cost-consequence analysis and focus groups (integration of objectives 1 to 3; phase 4). ResultsThe first 3 phases have started. The results of these phases will be available in 2023. Phase 4 will begin in 2023 and results will be available in 2024. ConclusionsWhile the benefits of PPE use are likely to diminish as health care workers’ immunity increases, it is important to assess its economic and ecological impacts to develop recommendations to guide its eco-efficient use. Trial RegistrationPROSPERO CRD42022302598; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=302598 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/50682