Doctors offer guide for teaching the health effects of climate change in medical residency
As massive wildfires, hurricanes, and record-breaking temperatures hit parts of the U.S., a group of doctors is urging medical residency programs to implement standardized curricula on the health impacts of climate change.
Their framework, published in a paper Wednesday in Academic Medicine, includes a breakdown of high-risk populations, including the elderly and low-income families, and a review of the current understanding on how climate impacts health — such as the relationship between air quality and respiratory illness. The framework also encourages consideration of the health impacts of displacement due to extreme weather events: Those who lose their home due to a hurricane, for instance, often develop post-traumatic stress disorder or face other mental health challenges; they are also at a higher risk for developing other conditions such as food insecurity that could in turn affect their physical and mental health.
