An educational program emphasizing the relationship that climate change has with health and health care environmental sustainability was well-received by physicians, according to a recent survey-based study published in JAMA Network Open and conducted by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system. The program provided a foundation about climate change and the impact of fossil fuel-related pollution on health; the healthcare system's contribution to carbon pollution; and opportunities to address these challenges. To the team's knowledge, MGH is the first academic medical center to offer incentivized educational programs on climate change and environmental sustainability in healthcare.
Climate change is a fundamental threat that is recognized by many to be the greatest health crisis humans have ever faced. However, surveys show that the majority of physicians do not feel prepared to address climate change's impact on health or to take action." Wynne Armand, MD, lead author, associate director of the Center for the Environment and Health at MGH and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School In their study, Armand and her colleagues surveyed the response to climate change–focused educational modules offered at Massachusetts General Hospital, an academic medical center, through an existing biannual physician quality incentive program.
Among a total of 2,559 eligible physicians and psycholo.