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Remote monitoring and teleconsultations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining quality of care in cystic fibrosis

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Background Remote care usefulness and climate change co-benefits should be addressed simultaneously to incentivize political action. Objectives To assess the changes in healthcare consumption, lung function and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Dutch cystic fibrosis (CF) care. Design Retrospective multicentre observational study in five Dutch CF centres. Methods Eighty-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. Results Healthcare 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). Conclusion Remote 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.

Source: Frontiers in Digital Health

DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1469860