American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC): Impact of Telemedicine Use on Outpatient-Related Co2 Emissions
The US health care system contributes to approximately 9 percent of domestic US greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating climate change. By substituting for in-person visits, telemedicine may represent a means of emission avoidance. Researchers estimated between 4,075,065 and 7,489,486 kg of CO2 was averted due to telemedicine use each month. Extrapolating to the entire US adult population, researchers estimated that monthly emissions averted range from 21.4 to 47.6 million kg of CO2.