A new educational initiative for healthcare providers laid the groundwork for understanding climate change, its effects on personal health due to pollution from fossil fuels, and the role of healthcare systems in carbon emissions and tackling related issues.
According to a recent survey-based study published in JAMA Network Open, an educational initiative highlighting the connections between climate change, health, and environmental sustainability in healthcare was positively received by physicians. This study was conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare network.
The program educated participants about climate change, the health impacts of pollution from fossil fuels, how healthcare systems contribute to carbon emissions, and possible strategies to address these issues. To the best of the team’s knowledge, MGH is the first academic medical institution to provide incentivized educational programs focused on climate change and sustainability in healthcare.
“Climate change is a significant threat and is widely acknowledged as the most serious health crisis humanity faces. Despite this, many physicians report feeling unprepared to address its health implications or take meaningful action,” said lead author Wynne Armand, MD, who is the associate director of the Center for the Environment and Health at MGH and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.
In the study, Armand and her team evaluated the feedback from educational modules concentrated on climate change offered at MGH, as part of a biennial physician quality incentive program.
Of the 2,559 eligible physicians and psychologists, 2,417 (94.5%) completed the education modules. Among these participants, 73.1% found the modules relevant or very relevant to their lives, while 65.4% felt they were pertinent to their clinical practices.
Interestingly, age did not affect how relevant physicians found climate-related education to their personal or professional lives. However, female clinicians were more likely than their male counterparts to view the education as relevant.
As anticipated, physicians in specialties that directly deal with issues worsened by climate change, such as emergency medicine, allergy, and primary care, reported higher relevance of the training for their practices.
“Our results suggest that educational approaches should be customized by specialty to effectively engage clinicians in learning about the health impacts of climate change and methods to reduce the health sector’s contributions,” stated Armand.
Out of the respondents, 446 (18.5%) provided optional comments—56.1% were positive, 36.5% neutral, and 7.4% negative. Many positive responses acknowledged the significance of the topic and offered ideas for lowering the hospital’s carbon footprint. Meanwhile, some expressed a desire for more opportunities to get involved.
On the other hand, negative feedback indicated that quality improvement trainings should prioritize patient care, and some felt that giving climate-related information to clinicians was inappropriate due to their limited sway over hospital policies.
Overall, the survey results show that the majority of physicians view education on the intricate connections between climate change and health care as vital, and they are eager for actionable steps. Notably, participants reported a boost in their understanding of these topics after completing the modules. Similar initiatives throughout the healthcare sector could support all stakeholders in recognizing and confronting the health threats posed by climate change and in reducing their environmental impact.
