Reducing carbon emissions through remote patient interview: A quality improvement initiative

Healthcare contributes approximately 4-5 % of the United Kingdom's total greenhouse gas emissions, with patient and visitor travel responsible for up to 14 % of this footprint. Implementing telehealth in outpatient care offers potential to reduce travel-related emissions while maintaining high-quality care.

To evaluate the environmental impact and feasibility of replacing routine in-person cardiothoracic outpatient consultations with video appointments at a tertiary cardiothoracic center in Scotland.

This prospective quality improvement initiative converted 50 routine cardiothoracic outpatient appointments to virtual consultations using the NHS-endorsed Near Me video platform between January and April 2025. Round-trip distances from patient postcodes to hospital were estimated using standard geocoding tools. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions avoided were calculated using the UK Government's BEIS conversion factor of 211.2 g/mile for average petrol vehicles. Patient satisfaction and technical feasibility were evaluated through post-consultation surveys.

Substituting 50 face-to-face appointments with Near Me video consultations avoided a total of 3,014.4 miles of patient travel, corresponding to approximately 636.7 kg of CO₂ emissions. No consultations required rescheduling due to technical difficulties. Patient satisfaction ratings were high, particularly for convenience and quality of interaction. Extrapolated to 1,000 patients annually, this model could prevent approximately 12.7 tones of CO₂ emissions.

Replacing in-person cardiothoracic consultations with telehealth is feasible, well accepted by patients, and environmentally beneficial. Scaling this approach across high-volume outpatient services supports the NHS's commitment to net-zero emissions while preserving care quality and efficiency.