Physician Role in Mitigating & Adapting to Climate Change
Given that ecosystem disruption is a gradually evolving process, it has been challenging to grasp the bigger picture of its effects, including human health outcomes. This makes it difficult for physicians and other health professionals to accurately predict and respond to community-specific risks. Operationalization of long-term data tracking will lead to better risk assessments and stronger coordinated forward planning.78
Furthermore, capacity building for preventing and treating emerging diseases must be planned for at local and regional levels as contextual factors may impact its efficacy. Climate change will disproportionately impact various aspects of human health, such as mental, cardiovascular, and pulmonary health. Natural hazards, such as forest fires and torrential rain will drive up the number of hospital visits and local healthcare facilities must have adequate resources to accommodate these increasing health care needs.79,80
In addition to implementing additional human and financial resources, local infrastructure, knowledge, and experience must be maximized in order to respond effectively to increased health needs due to climate extremes. Local expertise, in partnership with health system support, may greatly enhance the resilience of a rural community’s health care system by providing important context for community-specific health needs. Organizations like The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) provide an avenue for coordinated physician advocacy that can support local and regional initiatives in these areas.
Health care providers can offer important leadership in responding to the challenges of climate change, particularly as patient interactions provide opportunities for discussions on the climate’s impacts on health and well-being. Trusted and long-term health care providers, who have built relationships with their patient panel, have been shown to produce greater patient adherence to physician recommendations, including lifestyle changes.81 This influence can be leveraged in adapting and preparing for the health impacts of climate change. It is widely accepted by physicians and health care providers that climate change will impact human health and many have reported observing the direct consequences of climate change on their patients.82 However, most also feel overwhelmed in trying to respond to these challenges on a personal level. There is broad support for stronger emphasis on climate change in medical education and in continued education for physicians.83
Utilizing the unique position that they hold in the community, physicians can help build public awareness of climate change and guide behavioural changes for better health outcomes. An example of such is providing information on proper household practices such as safe food-handling during hot weather, preventative measures against water contamination during heavy rainfall, and enhancing knowledge of UV protection.84 Physicians are also in a position to provide specific recommendations and identify risk factors for patients based on considerations such as age, occupation, comorbidities, and various socio-economic factors beyond what a public health agency, for example, may be able to provide.85,82
Dr. Alan Ruddiman discusses his ideas for how to more meaningfully engage rural physicians in climate advocacy and finding space to have conversations about the changing climate with patients (6:06)
Rural physicians should be encouraged to build public awareness of climate change and support mitigation and adaptation efforts, particularly in reference to environmental health concerns
Climate change-related health risks and outcomes vary across communities and regions in BC. Therefore, identification of the most predominant vulnerability factors at a local level is crucial for effective mitigation and adaptation. Refer to Chapter 1 for more information on community-specific health outcomes of climate change. It can be difficult for health authorities or the provincial government to capture the full effect of climate change or address different circumstances in an effective manner. Therefore, physicians should work to advocate for the development and implementation of strategies that meet the needs of specific rural communities. This includes informing decision-makers about the most vulnerable populations and ensuring that these groups are recognized and prioritized in emergency response planning and policy.86
Dr. Eliseo Orrantia discusses the role of rural physicians in supporting climate change resilience, including his experience in Marathon, ON (4:16)
