Key Research Areas
Through research, education, and outreach, the SHP efforts provide hands-on support to abate the growing concern about pollution and health effects in healthcare. The SHP supports an array of interests, including the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), healthcare organizations, individual practitioners, healthcare educators and students, healthcare unions and organizations, environmental and public health regulatory agencies of several states, and other advocacy and industry groups.
The SHP's current research efforts include:
In 2009, the SHP received a one-year award from the US Environmental Protection Agency to conduct mercury reduction pilot projects in hospitals of Ecuador and Mexico.
En 2009, el SHP recibó de la Agencia de Protección del Medio Ambiente de los Estados Unidos fondas para llevar a cabo durante un año, proyecto de reductión de mercurio en hospitales de Ecuador y México.
- Preventing exposures to bloodborne pathogens/ Safe homecare [PDF document]
During 2004-2009, the SHP carried out the US-NIOSH-funded Project SHARRP Safe Homecare and Risk Reduction for Providers) to evaluate the risks of sharps injuries and other blood exposures in a large population of home healthcare workers, in Massachusetts.
- Cleaning in healthcare[PDF document]
The SHP has a research program to promote safer and more environmentally sound cleaning materials and practices. In 2009, the Global Health and Safety Initiative commissioned the SHP to develop a white paper on health and environmental impacts of conventional surface cleaning in healthcare and to outline needed researchand policy initiatives for the future.
