Sustainability
Sustainability
Feature
Piloting the Planetary Health Report Card initiative
As people get involved with Greener AHP Week and Earth Day this month , Catherine Potter looks at the concept of sustainable healthcare education for and by occupational therapy students .
H ealthcare systems have a strange relationship to the climate crisis . On the one hand , they contribute significantly to greenhouse emissions , often by way of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment ( Greener NHS 2023 ).
While on the other hand , healthcare institutions are set to carry increasing responsibilities as health outcomes worsen under the climate crisis ( Lancet Countdown 2023 ).
Healthcare therefore has its feet in two camps : a contributor and a victim . Despite this seeming contradiction , this positions clinicians optimally to mitigate climate change and witness the results of this first hand .
What is sustainable healthcare education ?
One solution to these contrary circumstances is sustainable healthcare . This refers to the use of high-quality treatments for current service users that do not jeopardise the health of future generations ( WFOT 2018 ).
This long-term perspective compliments occupational therapy ’ s natural inclination to take a holistic view of people and their environments . The need for occupational therapists to practise sustainably is evident , but the issue is whether they have the means to do so .
There is an increasing interest in incorporating sustainability into occupational therapy curriculums ( WFOT 2018 ). Teaching would ideally demonstrate to students the climate crisis impact on health , for example the increase in heat-related deaths and transmission of infectious diseases ( Lancet Countdown 2023 ), as well as practical means to minimise emissions and excess waste in clinical settings .
Addressing the ‘ why ’ and ‘ how ’ during student training is vital , so that occupational therapists can enter the workforce with tried and tested knowledge . These are still early days , however , for incorporating sustainability into occupational therapy education .
This prompts the question of how consistently is sustainability taught , researched and woven into the university life of our occupational therapy students ?
The Planetary Health Report Card
A means to investigate this query is the Planetary Health Report Card ( PHRC ). Planetary health , although similar , takes a step beyond sustainable healthcare . It acknowledges the immense impact of human activity on the planet and the devastating consequences this has on all life on Earth , including human life , and strives to rectify this ( Planetary Health Alliance 2023 ).
The PHRC was first designed and implemented by American medical students in 2019 . This student-led initiative investigated and graded their medical school ’ s ability to incorporate sustainability into five areas :
• the curriculum
• research
• community outreach and advocacy
• student initiatives
• campus-wide sustainability . The aim was to review these areas over the past
12 months , produce action points to support their
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