Journal of Climate Change and Health: Patient transport greenhouse gas emissions from outpatient care at an integrated health care system in the Northwestern United States, 2015–2020 (August 2021) – A retrospective review of outpatient care at a health system serving over 600,000 members found that from 2015 to 2020, total outpatient and telehealth visits increased, while ambulatory visit carbon intensity decreased – suggesting that telehealth visits may lead to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The study from Kaiser Permanente, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School attributes most of the results to the adoption of telehealth during the coronavirus pandemic, when in-person visits dropped sharply and both providers and payers limited their travel time. But the researchers noted that any telehealth service offers an opportunity to reduce stress on the environment.

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