The development towards future-focused, environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities: A systematic literature review and research direction
Year: 2026
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Sustainable development in healthcare has been long-standing research across social and economic dimensions. Given the urge of climate issues and environmental imbalance, the integration of environmental sustainability into healthcare facility management remains insufficiently systematised. This systematic literature review addresses this gap by developing a holistic approach for developing future-focused, environmentally sustainable healthcare facilities. It synthesises sustainability principles, operational practices, organisational enabling capabilities, and implementation barriers within healthcare facility management, while also identifying research gaps and proposing future directions for the field. To achieve the study objectives, peer-reviewed articles were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed in accordance with predefined inclusion parameters, the PRISMA guideline, and CASP quality appraisal. Guided by established sustainability frameworks, a top-down thematic analysis identified eight interrelated themes that shape sustainability implementation in healthcare facilities. The findings suggest that sustainability implementation requires a holistic approach that links system-level influences, organisational factors, and operational practices into an integrated implementation pathway. Healthcare organisations must address persistent technical, financial, and organisational constraints to enable this sustainability transition. Central to this transformation are leadership and governance, which emerge as the primary enablers of strategy execution in future-focused, environmentally sustainable healthcare facility management.
Source: Sustainable Environment
Authors: Ting Surfia Miana, Emidia Vagnoni
Institutions: University of Parma, University of Ferrara
Language: English
Subfield: Architecture
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7214327658