Department of Family Medicine, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, 1004 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Competence Center for Sustainability, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Apr 18;19(8):4901. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19084901.
General practitioners (GPs) could play a role in mitigating climate change by raising awareness of its impact on human health and implementing changes to improve population health and decreasing environmental footprints. The aim of this study was to assess GPs' knowledge and perspectives about the health impacts of climate change.
A questionnaire was sent to 1972 GPs in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Knowledge of the impact of environmental degradations and climate change on health and willingness to address climate change with patients, to be exemplary and to act as role models were surveyed as well as demographic characteristics of GPs.
Respondents (N = 497) expressed a high level of self-reported knowledge regarding climate change, although it was lower for more specific topics, such as planetary health or health-environment co-benefits. Participants mostly agreed that it is necessary to adapt clinical practice to the health impacts of climate change and that they have a role in providing information on climate change and its links to human health.
Most of the GPs were concerned about environmental and climate degradation. However, this study revealed a gap between the willingness of GPs to integrate the impact of climate change on health into their clinical activities and their lack of overall knowledge and scientific evidence on effective interventions. A promising way forward may be to develop co-benefit interventions adapted to the clinical setting on diet, active mobility and connecting with nature.
全科医生（GP）可以通过提高人们对气候变化对人类健康影响的认识，并采取措施改善人口健康和减少环境足迹，在缓解气候变化方面发挥作用。本研究旨在评估全科医生对气候变化对健康影响的认识和看法。
向瑞士法语区的 1972 名全科医生发送了一份问卷。调查了他们对环境恶化和气候变化对健康的影响的了解程度，以及他们是否愿意与患者一起应对气候变化、以身作则并充当榜样，同时还调查了全科医生的人口统计学特征。
受访者（N=497）对气候变化的自我报告知识水平较高，但对行星健康或健康-环境共同效益等更具体的主题的了解程度较低。参与者大多认为有必要使临床实践适应气候变化对健康的影响，并且他们在提供气候变化及其与人类健康联系的信息方面发挥着作用。
大多数全科医生都对环境和气候恶化表示关注。然而，这项研究揭示了全科医生愿意将气候变化对健康的影响纳入其临床活动与他们对有效干预措施的整体知识和科学证据之间存在差距。一个有前途的方法可能是制定适应临床环境的共同效益干预措施，包括饮食、积极的流动性和与自然的联系。
