Frontiers in Digital Health (Oct 2024)
Remote monitoring and teleconsultations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining quality of care in cystic fibrosis
Abstract
BackgroundRemote care usefulness and climate change co-benefits should be addressed simultaneously to incentivize political action.ObjectivesTo assess the changes in healthcare consumption, lung function and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dutch cystic fibrosis (CF) care.DesignRetrospective multicentre observational study in five Dutch CF centres.MethodsEighty-one participants were included. Healthcare consumption was described alongside the COVID-19 Stringency Index (2019–2022). Travel related GHG emissions were calculated for every clinic visit. Changes in percentage predicted Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (ppFEV1) were assessed using a paired-samples T-test.ResultsHealthcare consumption patterns followed COVID-19 public health measure stringency but returned back to the “old normal”. Emission of 5.450, 3 kg of carbon dioxide equivalents were avoided while quality of care was relatively preserved. ppFEV1 declined as expected (ΔMeans 3.69%, 95%CI 2.11–5.28).ConclusionRemote monitoring of lung function and symptoms and teleconsultations in CF can reduce GHG emissions while maintaining quality of care. As health sectors constitute a large share of national climate change footprints, digital health can partly alleviate this burden by reducing private travel.
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