Keywords: sustainability, survey, collaborative

Background:

In response to the growing urgency for sustainable practices in primary healthcare (PHC), a collaborative initiative among European general practitioners (GPs) has been launched. Climate change is increasingly impacting global health, while healthcare itself contributes 4-6% of global CO2 emissions, of which general practice is a notable contributor.
To address this issue, a European collaborative study on sustainability in PHC was initiated with support of EGPRN. The study considers various dimensions of sustainability including energy conservation, eco-friendly medical devices, reduction of disposable materials, and the promotion of alternative transportation methods such as cycling for home visits.

Research questions:

What are the current opinions and ongoing interventions related to environmental sustainability among European GPs?

Method:

This mixed-methods project includes two phases. First a cross-sectional survey is being conducted among GPs among EGPRN member countries, to provide an overview of sustainability practice and attitudes. In the second phase qualitative interviews with GPs in selected countries will explore priorities, relevant experiences and feasible implementation strategies for environmental sustainability.

Results:

Surveys are distributed in 15 countries. Preliminary analysis of 155 responses, shows that 63 % strongly agree, and 33% agree to some extent that sustainability in PHC is important. However, only 12% (19 respondents) reported the existence of a national sustainability policy for PHC in their country. The highest rated and most feasible actions include reducing electricity consumption, longer use of medical equipment and reducing waste. In contrast, reducing medical consumables, reducing staff mobility and decreasing reliance on internal/external laboratory analyses are considered less important and more difficult to implement.

Conclusions:

Comprehensive results, available in October, will offer a clearer picture of GPs’ perspectives on sustainable practices in primary care and how these vary across and within countries. The findings will help identify gaps and define objectives for future research.

Points for discussion:

What is your experience on sustainability in primary care?

Which are priorities for future research on this topic ?