A new Sustainable Healthcare course from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is empowering health professionals to apply the principles of sustainable healthcare in their own practice to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare.

This free continuous professional development (CPD) course is fully online and available to healthcare professionals in any discipline or location globally. It involves 16 hours of self-study materials delivered through a mix of formats.

The course is part of the university’s wider commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with RCSI currently ranked fifth in the world for SDG 3, Good Health and Well-being.

“Healthcare saves lives, but it also contributes to environmental damage and climate change. Anaesthetic gases, single use plastics, improper disposal of toxic waste, and over-prescription of medications all cause cumulative harm which in turn negatively impact human health,” says Professor Debbi Stanistreet, one of the two course leaders and Associate Professor and Head of Department of Public Health and Epidemiology at RCSI’s School of Population Health. “If we can create a critical mass of health professionals acting to make healthcare more sustainable, we will begin to see a major change in the way that healthcare is practiced.”

Net zero emissions

Participants will learn how to build resilience to the effects of climate change alongside, crucially, strategies for implementing sustainable healthcare practices in their own fields.

Professor Stanistreet says that disease prevention is the primary method of reducing healthcare’s carbon footprint. Patient empowerment can lead to a reduction in disease progression and stop complications before they occur. More sustainable lifestyles, including active transport modes like cycling, benefit both individuals and the planet.

Telemedicine can reduce carbon emissions involved in travelling to a health professional, while the use of medical products with a lower environmental impact can further contribute to a sustainable healthcare sector.

Healthcare is not exempt from the European Green Deal and, here, the Health Service Executive has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 through a climate action plan.

“Health professionals and indeed other professionals within healthcare organisations, need to consider how they can change their practices,” says Dr Samira Jabakhanji, a postdoctoral researcher at RCSI School of Population Health and Heidelberg University, and who is also leading on this course.

Socially responsible

This may be just the first step in a wider, fundamental change in healthcare provision. “By prioritising sustainability, this course empowers participants to drive positive change, aiding in the creation of healthcare systems that are environmentally and socially responsible,” says Dr Jabakhanji.

The course provides 16 CPD points to participants who finish the course, and each will receive an RCSI certificate of completion.

More information and application details about the Sustainable Healthcare programme are available here.