Climate change and eHealth: a promising strategy for health sector mitigation and adaptation

Figures & data

Fig. 1.  Schematic illustration of the potential net reduction in carbon emission with implementation of telemedicine services (shown in blue). The reduction potential is dependent on the number of visits as well as the carbon emission caused by each user's travel and visit in a traditional care scenario (shown in green). The climate impact from travel depends heavily on the type of transportation (e.g. public transportation, car, or aeroplane) but for simplicity is illustrated as travel distance only. This simplified model does not take into account that each piece of equipment can only serve a limited number of users and visits.

Table 1. Examples of eHealth methods and their potential impacts and health co-benefits

eHealth methods	Direct & indirect greenhouse gas impact	Potential co-benefits and examples of subsequent implications
Video consultations, e.g. between general practitioner and specialist or specialist and patient	Reduced travel for specialist and/or patient	•Less pollution^a •Positive impact on health economy •Long-term benefit: education of the general practitioner •Sub-specialist access for out-patient clinics in low-resource settings
Telehomecare, e.g. remote support of self-management in chronic diseases	Reduced travel for patients and specialists	•Less pollution^a •Decrease in hospital admissions for individuals with chronic diseases •Positive impact on health economy. •Increased quality of life for the patient
Remote public health or medical education	Reduced travel for teacher, patient, and/or student	•Less pollution^a •Increased medical knowledge, e.g. in poor or remote settings. Positive impact on health economy •Large potential for out-patient clinics in remote or low-resource settings
Virtual visits	Reduced travel for patients and relatives	•Less pollution^a •Positive impact on long-term hospital admissions since more frequent contact with relatives will be possible. •Potential to reduce the need for near-hospital parking facilities
Remote diagnostics, e.g. teleradiology, remote auscultations	Reduced travel for patient and/or specialist	•Less pollution^a •Positive impact on health economy •Large potential for out-patient clinics in remote or low-resource settings
Electronic prescriptions	Reduced travel for patient Reduced paperwork^b	•Less pollution^a •Significant potential to reduce harmful adverse drug interactions
Electronic medical records and referrals	Reduction in travel Reduced paperwork^b	•Less pollution^a •Shared health information leads to safer and more efficient care

^aLess pollution should result in direct benefits of lower rates of diseases such as respiratory diseases and cardiovascular diseases.

^bReduced paperwork should result in less deforestation and lowered emission from paper manufacturing, transport and recycling.

Table 2. Examples of potential eHealth adaptation strategies

eHealth adaptation strategies	Impacts and benefits	Limitations and needs
Telemedicine in disasters	•Support on-site medical staff and citizens with health care and management support through mobile technology and satellite communications •Main impact in situations when important infrastructure, such as roads and hospital buildings, are destroyed	•Infrastructure for robust mobile communications. •Need improvement in disaster preparedness in hospitals and out-patient clinics •Ideally, need for alternative and reliable energy supplies, e.g. solar panels
Point-of-care diagnostics for disease outbreaks	•Provide early point-of-care diagnostics for diseases in low-resource settings •Provide opportunity to treat and minimise spread of disease •Prevent unnecessary use of therapies, e.g. antibiotics and anti-malarial agents	•Infrastructure for mobile communications •New technology remains under development, thus is costly and potentially unreliable •Lack of skilled work force Need for educated health workers in remote and low-resource settings
Public health surveillance of disease and mapping strategies using mobile devices	•Cost-efficient •Possible in low-resource settings •Based primarily on users’ mobile phones Can efficiently react to and curb infectious outbreaks on a public health level	•Infrastructure for mobile communication •New technology •Need education to increase knowledge and preparedness •Need for policies on how to use and react to generated information
Remote education in preparedness and adaptation for health professionals and the public	•Impact on public health awareness and preparedness •Provide health education and support to vulnerable regions with low densities of health workers	•Infrastructure for mobile communication •Need for education and policies