Patients' perceptions of climate-sensitive health counselling in primary care: Qualitative results from Germany

Climate change is the greatest threat to global health in the twenty first century, yet combating it entails substantial health co-benefits. Physicians and other health professionals have not yet fully embraced their responsibilities in the climate crisis, especially about their communication with patients. While medical associations are calling on physicians to integrate climate change into health counselling, there is little empirical evidence about corresponding perceptions of patients.

This study aimed to explore primary care patients' perceptions of climate-sensitive health counselling.

From July to December 2021, 27 qualitative interviews with patients were conducted and analysed using thematic analysis. A purposive sampling technique was applied to identify patients who had already experienced climate-sensitive health counselling in Germany.

Patients' perceptions of climate-sensitive health counselling were characterised by a high level of acceptance, which was enhanced by stressing the link between climate change and health, being credible concerning physician's own climate-friendly lifestyle, building upon good therapeutic relationships, creating a sense of solidarity, and working in a patient centred manner. Challenges and risks for acceptance were patients' disinterest or surprise, time constraints, feared politicisation of consultations, and evoking feelings of guilt and shame.

These findings suggest that primary care patients can accept climate-sensitive health counselling, if it follows certain principles of communication, including patient-centredness. Our findings can be useful for developing communication guidelines, respective policies as well as well-designed intervention studies, which are needed to test the health and environmental effects of climate-sensitive health counselling.