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The Climate Emergency and Zero-Carbon Healthcare
Published in Vincent La Placa, Julia Morgan, Social Science Perspectives on Global Public Health, 2023
Whilst mHealth has the potential to reduce the overall healthcare carbon footprint by streamlining costly medical practices, such as disease screening and treatment support, there are barriers that hinder its implementation. These include geographical access and internet connectivity difficulties, policy/regulatory barriers, limited awareness of mHealth applications, limited healthcare workers’ competence in mHealth, and lack of funding (Osei and Mashamba-Thompson, 2021).
Climate emergency
Published in Alan Bleakley, Medical Education, Politics and Social Justice, 2020
Importantly, medical students should become reflexive about the carbon footprints of the medical systems in which they work, learning how they can help to reduce those footprints. For example, as noted earlier, the USA health system is the seventh-largest producer of carbon emissions globally (Rappleye 2017), contributing to increasing air pollution and causing, for example, the very pulmonary problems that doctors end up treating. The National Health Service (NHS) is responsible for 5.4% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, with over 20 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, costing over £50 million on carbon permits (Bawden 2019). A leading organization for ecologically responsible healthcare, Health Care Without Harm, reports that the global carbon footprint for the healthcare industry worldwide accounts for 4.4% of net CO2 emissions (https://noharm.org). If it were a country, global healthcare would be the fifth largest emitter on the planet.
Case studies (2006–2020)
Published in Stephen Verderber, Ben J. Refuerzo, Innovations in Hospice Architecture, 2019
Stephen Verderber, Ben J. Refuerzo
The hospice is ecologically sustainable, in day to day operations, with renewable energy systems and waste management best practices, minimizing its carbon footprint. It was of high priority to maintain the sanctity of the nearby Ganges River and its mountainous foothills (Figures 6.7.1 and 6.7.2). The hospice teamed with the Rishikesh-based organization Clean Himalaya. Clean Himalaya provides educational guidance in the field of waste management and as a result the hospice segregates its wastes at their source: organic waste is composted with the option of a bio-gas system whereby kitchen waste is converted to fuel for cooking. Biohazard medical waste is remediated on-site as well. To minimize air pollution, no waste, organic or otherwise, is burnt on-site and the use of plastic and deposable plastic is eschewed; the emphasis is on local sourcing of supplies produced from recycled materials. Its wastewater treatment system does not require electrical or chemical intervention, as treated black and grey wastewater feeds the hospice’s therapeutic gardens.
Carbon footprint and associated costs of asthma exacerbation care among UK adults
Published in Journal of Medical Economics, 2022
Kalé Kponee-Shovein, Jessica Marvel, Ryotaro Ishikawa, Abhay Choubey, Harneet Kaur, Praveen Thokala, Khadidja Ngom, Iman Fakih, Todd Schatzki, James Signorovitch
Based on these components, the total estimated GHG emissions associated with an asthma exacerbation varied based on the exacerbation severity level as well as the type of SABA inhaler used to treat the exacerbation (Table 1). A mild exacerbation was associated with a range of 0.0 kg CO2e (when a DPI is used) to 0.8 kg CO2e (when a large-volume MDI is used). While these carbon footprint estimates were minimal in magnitude, large relative differences were found based on the type of SABA inhaler used. The total carbon footprint of a moderate exacerbation differed greatly depending on whether a physician’s office visit was required for treatment or not (Table 1). For moderate exacerbations that did not require medical services, the associated GHG emissions ranged from 0.0 kg CO2e (with DPI use) to 2.5 kg CO2e (with large-volume MDI use). On the other hand, moderate exacerbations requiring a physician’s office visit were associated with a carbon footprint ranging from 66.0 kg CO2e (with DPI use) to 68.5 kg CO2e (with large-volume MDI use). Severe or life-threatening exacerbations, which always required medical services for treatment, were associated with the greatest carbon footprint, ranging from 184.7 kg CO2e (with DPI use) emissions to 188.1 kg CO2e (with large-volume MDI use; Table 1).
A breath of fresh AIR: reducing the carbon footprint of asthma
Published in Journal of Medical Economics, 2022
Lee Hatter, Pepa Bruce, Richard Beasley
The analysis by Kponee-Shovein and colleagues [6], published in this journal, is important in extending consideration of the carbon footprint in asthma beyond emissions from inhalers, to also include asthma exacerbations. Using previously published data, they calculated that the UK annual carbon footprint for asthma exacerbations of all severities was 724,201 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO2e), with severe and life-threatening exacerbations accounting for 61.9% (448,037 t CO2e) of the total [6]. Of note, healthcare encounters were the key contributor during an exacerbation, having a much greater impact on emissions than the type of reliever inhaler device used. This demonstrates how essential good asthma control is to driving down overall carbon emissions associated with asthma. It should also be noted, however, that the carbon footprint emission data for healthcare encounters, derived in part from Tennison et al. [1], are greater than those reported by the Sustainable Healthcare Coalition, and therefore may represent an overestimation of their contribution [7].
Let’s not go back to ‘normal’! lessons from COVID-19 for professionals working in childhood disability
Published in Disability and Rehabilitation, 2021
Peter L. Rosenbaum, Mindy Silva, Chantal Camden
PositivesTherapistshave a greater understanding of difficulties that parents are having with the program and can adapt and advise in more applicable ways.Decreasecarbon footprint.Canbe more efficient and responsive.Canbe more available in a way that suits families–“therapy on demand”.Lessability to jump in and “fix” means more time doing real coaching and problem solving with families–the therapist can’t just take over when things aren’t working (which we love to do!).Avaluable tool in our toolbox–just another way to deliver services that when directed at the right family, in the right way, can be very effective.Easierto coordinate multi-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches that fit with everyone’s schedules, including theability to share information, videos, team goals etc.Moreinsight into families’ lived experience, more able to integrate therapy suggestions into family home and lives.