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Three ways to make healthcare sustainable

Acting to make healthcare sustainable is vital to protect our own health and the health of our planet, but what can people, healthcare professionals and the healthcare sector actually do?


1. Focus on prevention

Encouraging everyone to take an active role in their own health by doing things like eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, keeping active and quitting smoking, can help to keep them well, which should reduce their use of healthcare services and resources.

Catching diseases at an early stage is also often associated with less resource-intensive care – as well as better outcomes for patients – so screening and testing for conditions like cancer or lung disease is another way to reduce the long-term consumption and burden on healthcare resources.

Better management of established health conditions such as heart failure and diabetes can help to reduce complications and subsequently reduce reliance on healthcare services. If these conditions are well-managed, it’s likely to mean fewer trips to hospital to treat acute symptoms or flare-ups, and potentially fewer interventions or medications.

2. Digital solutions

Virtual GP appointments, remote analysis of conditions using AI and accurate digital imaging in dentistry can all support sustainable healthcare.

In the UK Bupa partners with Skin Analytics, which uses AI to analyse skin lesions remotely and enables dermatologists to refer patients to the most appropriate treatment option first time, reducing the need for multiple trips to clinics or hospitals and the resources that they consume.

In our Spanish business, Sanitas, the Bupa app, Blua, allows people to have virtual consultations and then view how much carbon this saves compared with a face-to-face appointment. The adoption of digital imaging in many of our dental clinics is helping to minimise the environmental impact of traditional X-rays.

3. Reducing the environmental impact of care

Given the effect that climate change can have on our health, it is important to combine the provision of high-quality care with a reduction in the environmental impact of this care on the planet.

This can be done in many ways, starting with taking obvious steps such as ensuring healthcare settings are powered using renewable energy, improving waste management and transitioning to sustainable products and suppliers. However, it also includes initiatives such as reducing length of stay where clinically appropriate and minimising the number of duplicated tests or unnecessary procedures.

Additionally, investigating the environmental impact of different treatments and interventions alongside their clinical outcomes will support healthcare professionals in making informed decisions about how to treat patients in a clinically effective and sustainable way.