Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EHMA 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE-HEALTH MANAGEMENT: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR COMPLEX SYSTEMS, Rome, İtalya, 5 - 07 Haziran 2023, ss.89
Climate change and its health effects have been a growing concern among health professionals and the healthcare sector. Sustainable solutions in climate action demand a systematic approach in the healthcare sector, new procedures, and important infrastructure investments to strengthen preparedness and resilience. But the most important task in this process is to achieve the best possible preparedness of health professionals themselves.
This study aimed to measure the awareness, perception, and knowledge of health professionals about climate change, and to examine the factors which shape their position and level of awareness.
The research population of this descriptive study consists of medical doctors from Turkey, Serbia and EUPHA-ENV members. The data were collected with an online-questionnaire consisting of 29 questions in total, prepared by the researchers in line with the information obtained by the literature search.
This study was carried out within the scope of the Collaboration Project for Environment, Climate and Health (ÇİSİP) funded by the European Union. Ethical approval was obtained with the decision numbered 2021-06/04 of Bahçeşehir University Clinical Research Ethics Committee.
In spring 2023, more than 400 participants (medical doctors) from Turkey, Serbia and from the other countries in the European region responded to the survey. Survey questions included their perception on climate change impacts and the increase of extreme weather events, their concern about climate change, and the role of health professionals in climate mitigation and adaptation.
The awareness, perception and knowledge of the health care workers participating in our study on the health effects of climate change were found to be high in general. Health professionals participating in this study think that their colleagues have an important role in the health effects of climate change.
In general, medical doctors think that the health sector should be concerned about this issue and that effective measures can be taken, but the sector is not yet sufficiently prepared for the health effects of climate change.
Using the investigation about awareness, knowledge, and perception of medical doctors on climate change and its health effects we can establish necessary steps towards sustainable solutions in climate action, by strengthening the role to medical doctors through education, by appreciating needs, responsibilities and opinions in their role according to climate change issues.