Driving sustainability through Healthcare 4.0 technologies

Abstract

Sustainability in hospitals is a fundamental element for their survival in today's world, and H4.0 technologies are excellent tools to assist in the implementation and enhancement of sustainability management in hospitals. The adoption of Healthcare 4.0 (H4.0) technologies maximizes the development and improvement of Hospital Sustainability (HS) but presents dissonances that need to be overcome or mitigated. Therefore, this study proposes guidelines for the development and management of sustainability through H4.0 technologies in hospitals. These guidelines are structured based on four dimensions: environmental, social, economic, and transversal, derived from a Literature Review and Grounded Theory methodology. The applied-managerial contribution of this study is to provide a basis to help hospitals maximize synergies and mitigate dissonances between HS and H4.0, aiding decision-making related to sustainability and increasing their capacity to operate more efficiently and sustainably. Its theoretical-scientific contribution lies in the addition of important and innovative elements to the state of the art regarding the relationship between technologies and sustainability in hospitals. Furthermore, it deepens and expands upon previous studies on the subject, providing a reference point for the analysis and discussion of new studies, whether theoretical or empirical. Future studies are recommended to verify the degree and modes of H4.0 technology utilization and their influence on sustainability in hospitals across different contexts, such as various countries or economic blocs. Empirical studies using qualitative and/or quantitative research are also suggested to deepen the propositions made in this study.