The Climate Resources for Health Education Initiative: Accelerating Professional Education in Climate and Health
Natasha Sood1,2, James K Sullivan2,3, Karly Hampshire4
1Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
Summary
Climate change significantly impacts human health. The Climate Resources for Health Education (CRHE) project offers free online educational materials to equip health professionals with the knowledge to address this critical public health issue.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Medical Education
- Public Health
Background:
- Climate change, driven by human activities, poses significant risks to global health.
- Health professional organizations emphasize the need for education on climate change impacts and solutions.
- A gap exists between the recognized health effects of climate change and its integration into medical curricula.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detail the development of the Climate Resources for Health Education (CRHE) project.
- To introduce a free, accessible, and comprehensive online educational resource for climate and health.
- To support educators and learners in integrating climate change and planetary health into health education.
Main Methods:
- A grassroots, trainee-led approach was employed to create the CRHE educational resources.
- Resources were designed to be evidence-based, peer-reviewed, and adaptable for various educational settings.
- A survey assessed the impact of CRHE participation on volunteers.
Main Results:
- Over 400 students, trainees, and faculty contributed to the CRHE project.
- A survey of 34 volunteers indicated positive impacts on mentorship, climate and health knowledge, and curriculum development experience.
- The CRHE program provides a comprehensive, free online repository of climate health learning materials.
Conclusions:
- The CRHE project successfully developed a valuable educational resource to address the climate-health knowledge gap.
- The initiative highlights the potential of trainee-led efforts in creating impactful educational tools.
- CRHE aims to enhance the integration of climate change and planetary health into health professional education.
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