DC 101: Climate and Health
DC 101: Climate and Health
*The non-CE option of this course is available for free until October 1, 2025, thanks to support from the Commonwealth Fund.
Overview
Climate change is the greatest global threat to human health and health care is contributing to this crisis. Although health care provides necessary clinical care delivery for individuals affected by climate change, the sector also contributes to the problem causing as much as 4.6% of the total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In this course, you will gain a foundational education on the relationship between climate change, health care, and human health, which will enable you to further engage with decarbonizing clinical care delivery, while ensuring that safe and quality patient care is provided.
Course Objectives
After completing this course, you’ll be able to:
- Summarize the relationship between climate and health
- Describe the distribution of greenhouse gas emissions in health care
- Identify the six domains of decarbonization action
- Explain the structural enablers and systematic shifts needed in clinical practice to support decarbonizing care delivery
Lessons
- Lesson 1: Understanding Climate Change and Human Health
You’ll learn the relationship between climate change and human health and review the critical drivers of climate change, the health risks and vulnerabilities it poses, and the concepts of climate mitigation and adaptation.
- Lesson 2: Health Care Sector and Climate Change: A Paradox
You’ll learn about the healthcare sector’s contribution to climate change, the six key domains of action to decarbonize hospitals, and suggested measures and interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions along these domains.
- Lesson 3: Being the Change: How Health Care Can Combat the Climate Crisis
You’ll learn the structural enablers needed to bolster health care systems efforts to accelerate climate action and explore how the role of institutional policies, leadership, and healthcare professionals in mobilizing decarbonization across the health care sector.
Estimated Time of Completion: 1 hour 50 minutes
Continuing Education Credits
Course completion typically earns 1.75 Continuing Education credits. Please read the full details to ensure that this course offers your desired credit type. Learn more about Continuing Education credits
In support of improving patient care, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
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This program is approved to provide 1.75 credits for physicians, nurses, and Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) recertification.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement designates this internet enduring activity for a maximum of 1.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. This activity may also be applicable for other professions that accept AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
As a result of this program, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the relationship between the climate crisis and human health, and the contribution of the health care sector to a changing climate.
- Assess the environmental impacts of anesthetic gases, inhalers, and medical supplies and devices.
- Describe measures and actions to track and reduce emissions stemming from clinical practice.
- Use QI tools and methods to implement environmental sustainability projects at your own institutions.
Planning Committee
- Bhargavi Chekuri, MD, Co-director, Diploma in Climate Medicine and Co-director, Climate & Health Science Policy Fellowship, University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Katharine Weber, MD, Attending Physician, Rochester Regional Health
- Johannah Bjorgaard, DNPc, RN, PHN, CSSBB, Director, Energy Audit, University of Minnesota, M Health Fairview
- Bhargavi Sampath, MPH, Director, Innovation, IHI
- Kate Feske-Kirby, MA, Research Associate, IHI
- Kara Andrew, Co-Lead, Education Content Design and Development, IHI
- Melissa Smart, Instructional Designer, IHI
Disclosure: None of the planners, presenters, or staff for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.
Subscriptions
This course is available in the following IHI Open School subscriptions:
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