Lowering the Carbon Footprint Through Telehealth Vasectomy Consults: A Retrospective Observational Study

This study aimed to quantify the impact of shifting in-person pre-vasectomy consultations to telehealth visits on travel time and carbon footprint reduction.

Utilizing retrospective chart analysis, we examined men who underwent vasectomy at our institution from November 15, 2020, to November 15, 2021. Using their home address, we estimated the distance and travel time with Google Maps direction services to our institution's outpatient urology clinic. We then quantified the number of miles of gas used by dividing that distance by 25 miles per gallon, based on the United States Environmental Protection Agency market average in 2020. We then estimated the pounds of carbon dioxide produced per gallon of gasoline using the United Energy Information Administration's estimate that each gallon of gasoline produces 18.74 pounds of carbon dioxide.

After including 126 cases, the average patient saved 26 miles round trip between their home address and our institution's outpatient clinic. This averaged 43 minutes per round trip. Using our reference values, each trip saved an estimated 1.04 gallons of gasoline and 19.48 pounds of carbon being produced.

By transitioning pre-vasectomy consults from an in-person to a telehealth format, patients have added convenience in reduced travel in addition to a lower individual carbon footprint. Impact statement: With an average of 500,000 vasectomies performed per year, transitioning from in-person to telehealth vasectomy pre-consults has the potential to save patients' travel time while reducing their carbon footprint.