The Impact of Telemedicine on Reducing Carbon Footprint
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15678/PG.2023.63.1.2Keywords:
decarbonisation, telemedicine, carbon footprint in health careAbstract
Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities of reducing the carbon footprint in the Polish health care, focusing on the way by which medical service professionals use communication technology to provide information for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and consultation, or to obtain medical knowledge for the improvement of the patient’s health.
Research Design & Methods: Based on data on the number of home visits and its connection with the number of teleconsultations in the surveyed region, the possibility of reducing the carbon footprint in this area was analysed. In addition, the population living in each region of the country was considered. Values were calculated for the years 2020 and 2021.
Findings: The correlation between the topic of decarbonisation and telemedicine (i.e. a form of medical and health care delivery that combines elements of telecommunications, information technology, and medicine) is quite obvious. A rather clear scenario confirming the positive impact of telemedicine on the environment is the minimisation of the need to visit medical centres by patients to obtain basic medical services (consultation with a clinician, prescription, etc.).
Implications / Recommendations: The possibilities that telemedicine brings to the health care field are immense, and the only limitation we currently face is the speed at which this technology is adopted in everyday realities. We are currently facing a paradigm shift in the perception of medical services from the traditional approach (one in which the patient had to reach a clinician in person to receive medical services) to the innovative one (supported by various technologies that make it possible to provide medical services remotely), which improves the quality of health care services. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that some services can be delivered differently. The use of innovative methods of diagnostics and patient care using IoMT-related solutions contributes to reducing the environmental impact of the carbon footprint that is generated by the health care field.
Contribution / Value Added: Climate change has a significant impact on human health. Obviously, climate change is not the only factor affecting human health. In the article, we deliberately narrow the domain of analysis to this factor and will not consider a broader scope. In order to demonstrate the commitment to reducing their environmental impact, organisations and companies more often measure and report carbon footprint. Moreover, the pandemic crisis situation, i.e. COVID-19, has brought rapid changes in clinical practice. The huge potential of using the available technology – e.g. the IoMT (Internet of Medical Things) – to support the health care field has been recognised. This technology is one of the important elements of telemedicine.
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