Gervais Claire
UW Health and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin,
WMJ. 2025;124(1):22-26.
Climate change is the greatest global public health threat of this century, increasing respiratory, cardiovascular, and vector-borne diseases; mental health effects; and premature deaths. The US health care sector is responsible for 8% to 10% of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions; therefore, engaging health care systems in emissions reduction could improve health for all communities.
A 10-question survey was emailed to a convenience sample consisting of 211 faculty physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants and an unknown number of other staff employed at 21 UW Health family medicine clinics. The survey measured knowledge of health care greenhouse gas emissions and included 2 open-ended questions to solicit opinions on sustainability priorities and barriers to waste reduction. Each clinic also received a 15-minute presentation on health care climate impact during one of their regularly scheduled meetings.
Of the 130 survey respondents, 34% knew the health care sector is responsible for 8% to 10% of the US carbon emissions and 9% of non-greenhouse air pollutants. Only 26% knew that most of these emissions come from purchasing and transportation. However, 92% thought environmental sustainability should be incorporated into all clinical operations, and 74% wanted to know how to affect purchasing to reduce emissions. Top priorities were identified as investing in renewable energy, increasing recycling, and reducing waste (eg, single-use instruments). Top barriers to waste reduction were thought to be cost, complacency, and time.
Despite lack of knowledge of the health care sector's contribution to US greenhouse gas emissions, most surveyed health care workers wanted their health care system to incorporate environmental sustainability into all clinic operations. Additional research identifying knowledge gaps and soliciting opinions of other medical specialties and health care systems on health care greenhouse gas emissions may increase awareness of health care emissions, inform health care leaders, and lead to emissions reduction.
气候变化是本世纪最大的全球公共卫生威胁，会增加呼吸道疾病、心血管疾病和媒介传播疾病的发病率，影响心理健康，并导致过早死亡。美国医疗保健行业的温室气体排放量占全国的8%至10%；因此，让医疗保健系统参与减排可以改善所有社区的健康状况。
通过电子邮件向一个便利样本发放了一份包含10个问题的调查问卷，该样本由211名内科医生、执业护士和医师助理以及21家威斯康星大学健康家庭医学诊所雇佣的数量不详的其他工作人员组成。该调查衡量了对医疗保健温室气体排放的了解程度，并包括2个开放式问题，以征求关于可持续发展优先事项和减少废物障碍的意见。在各诊所的一次定期会议上，还为其进行了一次关于医疗保健对气候影响的15分钟的演示。
在130名调查受访者中，34%的人知道医疗保健行业的碳排放量占美国的8%至10%，非温室空气污染物排放量占9%。只有26%的人知道这些排放大多来自采购和运输。然而，92%的人认为环境可持续性应纳入所有临床操作，74%的人想知道如何通过影响采购来减少排放。确定的首要任务是投资可再生能源、增加回收利用和减少废物（如一次性器械）。减少废物的主要障碍被认为是成本、自满和时间。
尽管对医疗保健行业对美国温室气体排放的贡献缺乏了解，但大多数接受调查的医护人员希望他们的医疗保健系统将环境可持续性纳入所有诊所操作。进一步的研究，以确定知识差距并征求其他医学专业和医疗保健系统对医疗保健温室气体排放的意见，可能会提高对医疗保健排放的认识，为医疗保健领导者提供信息，并导致减排。
