Clinical transformation: the key to green nephrology.
Climate change represents a major global public health threat. The very provision of healthcare itself has a significant untoward effect on the environment, to which kidney care is likely to contribute disproportionately. In this article we describe the four principles we believe will underpin a successful transformation to lower carbon kidney care: disease prevention, patient empowerment, lean service delivery and the preferential use of low-carbon technologies. We illustrate their application and their co-benefits, such as improvements in patient care and reductions in cost, with examples.
Connor
Andrew
A
Department of Renal Medicine, Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, UK. andrew.connor@kintoa.org
Mortimer
Frances
F
Tomson
Charles
C
D058572:Carbon Footprint; D057231:Climate Change; D003246:Conservation of Energy Resources; D004777:Environment; D058735:Environmental Policy; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000517:prevention & control; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology; D015312:Hemodialysis Solutions; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000379:methods; D009398:Nephrology / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D010358:Patient Participation; D059027:Recycling; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014867:Water
D015312:Hemodialysis Solutions; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D014867:Water