Geographic Position Influences Climate Change Risk Perception of Emergency Medical Services
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Oct. 21, 2024 -- The perception of risk related to climate change among emergency medical societies differs according to geographical position, and few have implemented assessment and preparedness measures for climate change threats, according to a study published online Oct. 13 in the European Journal of Emergency Medicine to coincide with the European Emergency Medicine Congress, held from Oct. 13 to 16 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Roberta Petrino, M.D., from Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale in Lugano, Switzerland, and colleagues examined the awareness, preparedness, and mitigation plans for climate change threats in a cross-sectional study targeting emergency medical societies in different countries. The survey included 16 closed questions relating to climate change awareness, preparedness, and risks.
Forty-two focus groups responded, representing 36 countries. The researchers found that the mean estimated impact of climate change on national health systems was 6.75, with a mode of 7, while the mean estimated impact on emergency medical systems was 6.96. Only 21.4 and 37.6 percent of respondents reported assessment and preparedness measures, respectively. The only significant difference in the analysis by income was food supply. In analysis by region, the main differences were the risks of extreme weather events, vector-borne disease, and wildfires; food and chain of supplies were the main difference in the analysis by World Risk Index. Education and integration of health services were the main mitigation actions indicated by all respondents.
"All respondents advocated educational programs and strategic plans to face challenges associated with climate change, with the conviction that emergency medicine may play an important role in addressing and mitigating potential health crises," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Random Forest AI Model Superior for Inpatient Mortality Prognostication in Cirrhosis
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- For inpatients with cirrhosis, a machine learning (ML) model using random forest (RF) analysis is superior for prediction of inpatient mortality...
Inflammation and Nutrition-Based Scores Tied to Prognosis of Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and systemic oxidative stress (SOS) score are independently associated with poorer prognosis of low-risk...
Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.