Choosing radiology imaging modalities to meet patient needs with lower environmental impact

Alshqaqeeq, Fadhel; McGuire, Charles W.; Overcash, Michael; Ali, Kamran; Twomey, Janet M.

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104657

Cited by 24 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The authors determined whether imaging modalities used in the US healthcare radiology departments could be switched to those more energy efficient without affecting patient care. 24 Another separate article raised questions about whether carbon emissions should be a factor in determining the most appropriate video image resolution used during virtual clinical appointments in the UK National Health Service (NHS) because more data is required for higher resolution images leading to a higher environmental. 25 This same author also described the environmental impacts associated with the exponential increase in data collection and processing in the UK NHS and called for more differentiation between useful and redundant data when considering which data to store: ‘all this data uses energy and infrastructure to store and access.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental sustainability of data-driven health research: A scoping review

Samuel

Lucassen

2022

DIGITAL HEALTH

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Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence technologies are rapidly changing the way that health research is conducted, including offering new opportunities. This will inevitably have adverse environmental impacts. These include carbon dioxide emissions linked to the energy required to generate and process large amounts of data; the impact on the material environment (in the form of data centres); the unsustainable extraction of minerals for technological components; and e-waste (discarded electronic appliances) disposal. The growth of Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence technologies means there is now a compelling need to consider these environmental impacts and develop means to mitigate them. Here, we offer a scoping review of how the environmental impacts of data storage and processing during Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence health-related research are being discussed in the academic literature. Using the UK as a case study, we also offer a review of policies and initiatives that consider the environmental impacts of data storage and processing during Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence health-related research in the UK. Our findings suggest little engagement with these issues to date. We discuss the implications of this and suggest ways that the Data-Driven and Artificial Intelligence health research sector needs to move to become more environmentally sustainable.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental sustainability of data-driven health research: A scoping review

Samuel

Lucassen

2022

DIGITAL HEALTH

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“…This is the first review of studies on the environmental impact of cardiology practice. Others have noted the potential for ‘greener cardiology’ 20 21. For example, in a review of the use of medical imaging in 10 diagnostic imaging categories (and 162 subcategories), it was found that the greatest opportunity to reduce energy consumption lay within cardiac imaging,21 highlighting, as we found, the scope to reduce the environmental impact of cardiac imaging by using lower energy consumption alternatives, such as echocardiography, as the first-line test, before considering CT or CMR imaging when clinically appropriate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental impact of cardiovascular healthcare

Barratt

Gooroovadoo

et al. 2023

Open Heart

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ImportanceThe healthcare sector is essential to human health and well-being, yet its significant carbon footprint contributes to climate change-related threats to health.ObjectiveTo review systematically published studies on environmental impacts, including carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions, of contemporary cardiovascular healthcare of all types, from prevention through to treatment.Evidence reviewWe followed the methods of systematic review and synthesis. We conducted searches in Medline, EMBASE and Scopus for primary studies and systematic reviews measuring environmental impacts of any type of cardiovascular healthcare published in 2011 and onwards. Studies were screened, selected and data were extracted by two independent reviewers. Studies were too heterogeneous for pooling in meta-analysis and were narratively synthesised with insights derived from content analysis.FindingsA total of 12 studies estimating environmental impacts, including carbon emissions (8 studies), of cardiac imaging, pacemaker monitoring, pharmaceutical prescribing and in-hospital care including cardiac surgery were found. Of these, three studies used the gold-standard method of Life Cycle Assessment. One of these found the environmental impact of echocardiography was 1%–20% that of cardiac MR (CMR) imaging and Single Photon Emission Tomography (SPECT) scanning. Many opportunities to reduce environmental impacts were identified: carbon emissions can be reduced by choosing echocardiography as the first cardiac test before considering CT or CMR, remote monitoring of pacemaker devices and teleconsultations when clinically appropriate to do so. Several interventions may be effective for reducing waste, including rinsing bypass circuitry after cardiac surgery. Cobenefits included reduced costs, health benefits such as cell salvage blood available for perfusion, and social benefits such as reduced time away from work for patients and carers. Content analysis revealed concern about the environmental impact of cardiovascular healthcare, particularly carbon emissions and a desire for change.Conclusions and relevanceCardiac imaging, pharmaceutical prescribing and in-hospital care including cardiac surgery have significant environmental impacts, including CO2e emissions which contribute to climate-related threats to human health. Importantly, many opportunities to effectively reduce environmental impacts exist within cardiac care, and can provide economic, health and social cobenefits.

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“…Also see Healthcare without Harm's Reducing Healthcare's Climate Footprint, which contains case studies of various hospital's initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://noharm-europe.org/sites/default/files/documentsfiles/4746/HCWHEurope_Climate_Report_Dec2016.pdf. Examples of how the environmental impacts of specific health procedures and devices can be reduced include, for example, in imaging (Alshqaqeeq, McGuire et al 2020), anaesthetics (Ryan and Nielsen 2010), asthma inhalers (Wilkinson, Braggins et al 2019), dialysis (Moura-Neto, Barraclough et al 2019), eye care (Buchan, Thiel et al 2022), and surgery (Namburar, Pillai et al 2018, Thiel, Woods et al 2018), all of which can have particularly high environmental impacts.…”

Section: Reducing Carbon Emissions and Other Environmental Impacts In...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examples of areas in which the environmental impacts of specific health procedures and devices can be reduced include: imaging (Alshqaqeeq et al, 2020 ), anaesthetics (Ryan and Nielsen, 2010 ), inhalers (Wilkinson et al, 2019 ), dialysis (Moura-Neto et al, 2019 ), eye care (Buchan et al, 2022 ) and surgery (Namburar et al, 2018 ; Thiel et al, 2018 ), all of which can have particularly high environmental impacts.…”

Section: Climate Change and The Need To Consider The Environmental Im...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The environmental impact of data-driven precision medicine initiatives

Lucassen

Samuel

2022

Camb. prisms Precis. med.

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Opportunities offered by precision medicine have long been promised in the medical and health literature. However, precision medicineand the methodologies and approaches it relies on -also have adverse environmental impacts. As research into precision medicine continues to expand, there is a compelling need to consider these environmental impacts and develop means to mitigate them. In this article we review the adverse environmental impacts

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Choosing radiology imaging modalities to meet patient needs with lower environmental impact

Cited by 24 publications

References 7 publications

The environmental sustainability of data-driven health research: A scoping review

The environmental sustainability of data-driven health research: A scoping review

Environmental impact of cardiovascular healthcare

The environmental impact of data-driven precision medicine initiatives

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