An Assessment of Healthcare Service Users’ Awareness Levels Regarding Green Hospital Practices: The Case of Adana Province

Öz

Aim: This study aims to determine the awareness levels of healthcare service users regarding the concept and practices of green hospitals. Within the scope of the research, participants’ knowledge about green hospital practices, their consideration of such practices in choosing healthcare institutions, and whether their awareness levels significantly differ based on demographic characteristics were analyzed. The study seeks to evaluate the societal response to environmentally sustainable healthcare delivery. Method: The research was conducted in the province of Adana during the 2023–2024 period with 431 participants selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected via a questionnaire based on the “Green Hospital Design Scale” adapted into Turkish by Mansur and Korkmaz (2020). The data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), descriptive statistics, and hypothesis testing. Results: While 59.9% of the participants consider green practices an important criterion in selecting healthcare institutions, only 21.6% are aware of the presence of green hospital implementations in their city. The highest mean scores were observed in the dimensions of indoor environmental quality and materials-resources, whereas water efficiency received the lowest scores. Statistically significant differences in awareness levels were found across certain dimensions based on gender, education level, and income. Conclusion: The study revealed that although healthcare service users demonstrate a certain level of awareness regarding green hospital practices, overall awareness remains insufficient. These findings underscore the need for community-based awareness-raising initiatives to advance environmental sustainability in healthcare services.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Green hospital
• environmental sustainability
• healthcare service user

Sağlık Hizmet Kullanıcılarının Yeşil Hastane Uygulamalarına Dair Farkındalık Düzeyinin Değerlendirilmesi: Adana İl Örneği

Öz

Amaç: Bu çalışma, sağlık hizmeti kullanıcılarının yeşil hastane kavramı ve uygulamalarına ilişkin farkındalık düzeylerini belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında, bireylerin yeşil hastane uygulamalarıyla ilgili bilgi düzeyleri, bu uygulamaları sağlık kurumu tercihinde dikkate alma durumları ve demografik özelliklerine göre farkındalık düzeylerinde anlamlı farklılıkların bulunup bulunmadığı analiz edilmiştir. Böylece, çevresel sürdürülebilirliği esas alan sağlık hizmet sunumunun toplum nezdindeki karşılığının değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Yöntem: Araştırma, 2023-2024 döneminde Adana ilinde sağlık hizmeti alan bireyler üzerinde yürütülmüş ve kolayda örnekleme yöntemiyle belirlenen 431 katılımcıdan anket yoluyla veri toplanmıştır. Veri toplama aracı olarak, Mansur ve Korkmaz (2020) tarafından Türkçeye uyarlanan “Yeşil Hastane Tasarımı Ölçeği” kullanılmıştır. Veriler doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA), tanımlayıcı istatistikler ve hipotez testleri ile analiz edilmiştir. Bulgular: Katılımcıların %59,9’u sağlık kurumu tercihlerinde yeşil uygulamaları önemli bir kriter olarak değerlendirmektedir; ancak yalnızca %21,6’sı yaşadığı ilde yeşil hastane uygulamalarının varlığından haberdardır. En yüksek ortalamalar iç çevre kalitesi ve materyal-kaynaklar boyutunda elde edilirken, en düşük puan su verimliliği boyutunda gözlemlenmiştir. Cinsiyet, eğitim ve gelir düzeyine göre bazı boyutlarda farkındalık düzeyleri anlamlı şekilde farklılık göstermektedir. Sonuç: Araştırma, sağlık hizmeti kullanıcılarının yeşil hastane uygulamalarına yönelik farkındalığının belirli açılardan gelişmiş olduğunu ancak genel düzeyde yetersiz kaldığını ortaya koymuştur. Bu durum, çevresel sürdürülebilirlik hedeflerine ulaşmak için toplum temelli bilinçlendirme çalışmalarının önemini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yeşil hastane
• çevresel sürdürülebilirlik
• sağlık hizmeti kullanıcıları

Kaynakça

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