Exploring the issue of Carbon footprint burden of Disease: start from Systematic review and Use Type 2 diabetes as the example

Climate change significantly impacts human health, and while health systems address this burden, they also contribute to environmental pollution. Given the demand for net-zero healthcare, a carbon footprint has attracted increasing research interest in healthcare systems in recent years. A synthesis work of carbon footprint in healthcare research is still lacking. Moreover, the CF of diseases is an important but often overlooked aspect of the climate change issue and still has no formula to calculate. This thesis addressed this gap through two studies with two primary objectives:
(1) To determine the trends of recent research regarding healthcare field impacts on the environment and identify topical research trends and methodology they use to evaluate the carbon footprint in the healthcare field.
(2) To define the carbon footprint burden of diseases using diabetes type 2 as an example.
Specifically:
Study 1 determined the trends of recent research regarding healthcare field impacts on the environment and identified research trends and methodology scientists use to evaluate the carbon footprint in the healthcare field using systemic review. The study included 205 articles focused on healthcare's carbon footprint from 1996 to 2023. Most of the studies were conducted in upper-middle-income countries. According to our review, twenty-five areas were described with a concentrate on equipment (20% of total studies), telemedicine (14.1% of total), surgery (11,2% of total), healthcare system (8.3% of total), conference and medical services (7.3% of total) with limited attention paid to diseases. There were two main methodologies to calculate carbon emissions: the life cycle assessment approach to emphasize the multifaceted nature of healthcare's carbon footprint with 11 types of LCA methodologies and consumption-based estimates to evaluate detailed components.
Study 2 defined the carbon footprint burden of diseases using diabetes type 2 (T2DM) as an example using the results of study 1 as a literature review. The scopes of CF were provided with detailed sectors and subsectors. To accurately assess these emissions, comprehensive data collection is essential, using methodologies such as Hybrid LCA with ISO standards. Two potential approaches can be employed: the patient approach, which focuses on individual patients and provides detailed insights for personalized care, and the institutional approach, which evaluates the broader impact at the healthcare facility level, enabling systemic changes. Both methods highlight the importance of energy efficiency, sustainable medication practices, reducing travel emissions, and effective waste management to minimize the environmental impact of T2DM management.
In summary, the research underscores the critical need for comprehensive strategies to reduce the healthcare sector's carbon footprint, particularly through targeted approaches in patient care and institutional practices. By synthesizing existing methodologies and applying them to diseases like T2DM, this thesis provides a framework for assessing and mitigating the environmental impact of healthcare, contributing to the global goal of net-zero emissions.