Closer Care, Cleaner Air: The Greening in Dermatology

Climate change represents a devastating threat to health. Peripheral dermatology clinics have proven to be effective in enhancing patient access to healthcare. We studied the environmental health benefits of peripheral clinics in the Republic of Ireland by calculating the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

A national cross-sectional study of patients attending peripheral clinics and central dermatology departments over 2023 was conducted. The round-trip distances between the peripheral clinics and central dermatology departments were calculated, with results used to estimate the reduction in carbon emissions.

A total of 21,786 patients attended the peripheral clinics. The average round-trip distance was 109.7 km. A total distance of 1,986,369 km was avoided by using this model, which would have otherwise resulted in additional 331 tonnes of carbon emissions.

With global warming accelerating at an alarming rate, healthcare professionals have a duty to adopt greener practices to reduce carbon footprints. Specialised peripheral clinics not only enhanced patient access to healthcare but also significantly reduced the carbon footprint associated with patient travel.