Patient perspectives on climate friendly healthcare: an exploratory study in obstetrics and gynaecology

Abstract

Objective: To investigate patient perspectives on climate change and climate change mitigation strategies in healthcare.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey among gynaecological patients from two Dutch outpatient clinics. Main outcomes included patients' climate-related knowledge and worry, climate friendly healthcare perspectives and willingness to opt for climate friendly treatment alternatives. Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to explore patient characteristics associated with climate friendly healthcare perspectives.

Results: 274 surveys were included. Most patients (79 %) were worried about climate change. Although almost all (91 %) found it important to contribute to climate protection, patients showed hesitance regarding healthcare measures that would impinge on individual choices. 62 % was willing to opt for climate friendly treatments, but this proportion varied by medical condition. Climate-related knowledge and worry were both positively associated with climate friendly healthcare perspectives.

Conclusion: Gynaecological patients are concerned about climate change and possess substantial self-reported climate-related knowledge. Patients vary in their support of climate action that involves individual patient care, but the majority is open to choose climate friendly treatment alternatives for certain medical conditions.

Practice implications: This exploratory study holds implications for the feasibility of integrating climate impact into clinical decision-making and provides a foundation for normative evidence for decarbonizing healthcare.

Keywords: Biomedical ethics; Climate change; Climate ethics; Environmental sustainability; Gynaecology; Obstetrics; Patient involvement; Shared decision-making.