TY - JOUR
T1 - Remote monitoring and teleconsultations can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining quality of care in cystic fibrosis
AU - Oppelaar, Martinus C.
AU - Bannier, Michiel A. G. E.
AU - Reijers, Monique H. E.
AU - van der Vaart, Hester
AU - van der Meer, Renske
AU - Altenburg, Josje
AU - Conemans, Lennart
AU - Rottier, Bart L.
AU - Nuijsink, Marianne
AU - van den Wijngaart, Lara S.
AU - Merkus, Peter J. F. M.
AU - Roukema, Jolt
PY - 2024/10/24
Y1 - 2024/10/24
N2 - 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 (Delta Means 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.
AB - 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 (Delta Means 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.
KW - telemonitoring
KW - cystic fibrosis
KW - pediatrics
KW - spirometry
KW - telehealth
KW - climate co-benefits
KW - respiratory medicine
U2 - 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1469860
DO - 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1469860
M3 - Article
SN - 2673-253X
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Digital Health
JF - Frontiers in Digital Health
M1 - 1469860
ER -