Medical waste management improvement in community health centers: an interventional study in Iran

AIM: To improve the medical waste management (MWM) standards in Tabriz community health centers (CHCs) through clinical audit process. BACKGROUND: Management of medical waste is not only a legally necessity but also a social responsibility in health systems. Owing to the potential risks for human health and environmental impacts, MWM is a global concern. METHODS: This was an interventional research designed using clinical audit cycle that was implemented in Tabriz CHCs in 2016. MWM was assessed through observation, as well as reviewing relevant documents and interviews with waste workers in CHCs and completion of a researcher-made checklist. Intervention plans were developed and implemented based on the assessment results. To analyze the data, Excel 2016 software was used and information was reported as descriptive statistics through comparison of standards adherence before and after the interventions. RESULTS: Generally, 30% improvements in MWM standards adherence were experienced (45.8–75.1%) in the CHCs, after the interventions. The greatest improvement was observed in the dimensions of management and education, and separation and collection of medical waste, up to 30 and 28.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: As the results demonstrated, standards of MWM processes were improved in Tabriz CHCs, due to the intervention. Moreover, it was experienced that using systematic method, stakeholders’ participation and evidence-based planning would lead to process improvement. MWM was an ignored issue in primary care that must be more in attention.