Workshop:Energy/Materials Dimensions of Engineering in Evidence-Based Healthcare

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Healthcare facilities provide services to achieve quality medical outcomes. These activities combine to utilize energy and materials with a significant impact on economics, social effects, and the environment. The relationship of these impacts to quality of service/medical outcomes is a substantial research need. The research featured in this workshop addresses the principles of relating energy and materials to individual healthcare services as a critical link to the actual services decision-makers (e.g. those operating the imaging services, selecting dialysis procedures, etc). The emphasis is not as economists, but a larger focus on energy (and energy effects), materials life cycles including waste streams, and medical outcomes. The goal is to better understand these relations (not just costs) as a more fundamental structure to seek sustainability improvements. The workshop has a broad and exploratory agenda to encourage cross-discipline exposure. The goal is early information regarding the energy and mass flow for engineering design or technologies (e.g. imaging, dialysis, supply chain, the built environment) as these impact on healthcare services and ultimately medical outcomes. The workshop exchange with similar evidence-based medical developments will add a vital dimension to the workshop. The general format will involve 30 minute papers and extensive discussion around four over-arching healthcare themes: healthcare and the environment, healthcare and comparative effectiveness research, technology for improved outcomes, and processes and systems design for improved outcomes. A small identified working group will synthesize workshop discussion and develop a roadmap for the development of energy/mass flow information. The two day workshop is organized by Professors Janet Twomey (janet.twomey@wichita.edu) and Michael Overcash (mrovercash@earthlink.net).