Telemedicine can dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions in cancer care

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A study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute reveals that telemedicine for cancer care offers both convenience and environmental benefits compared to traditional in-person appointments. By analyzing data from a regional cancer centre, the researchers found that adopting telehealth and local care nationwide could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33.1%. This reduction primarily stems from decreased travel to medical appointments, an impact evident since the shift to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The researchers compared carbon dioxide emissions from Dana-Farber during two periods: the pandemic (March-December 2020), when telemedicine was predominant, and the pre-pandemic era (March 2015-February 2020), which relied on in-person visits. They accounted for all elements of a clinical visit, including travel, parking, and facility usage, and found that telemedicine significantly reduced per visit-day CO2 emissions by 81.3% at Dana-Farber.

Extrapolating these findings to the national level, the researchers estimated a potential reduction of 75.3 million kilograms of CO2, corresponding to a decrease of 33.1% in emissions. However, this reduction is somewhat lower nationally than the Dana-Farber data due to differences in patient demographics and travel patterns.

The study highlights that while telemedicine can enhance access to care and lower travel-related emissions, it also presents challenges, such as potential increases in visits and issues for patients with limited internet access. Nonetheless, the findings underscore the environmental benefits of integrating telemedicine into cancer care, contributing to efforts to reduce health-related carbon footprints.