Background
The World Health Organisation has described climate change as the greatest health threat of the 21st century. Healthcare also contributes to the problem, producing 4-5% of global greenhouse gases.
Climate resilient and sustainable healthcare systems rely on healthcare professionals (HCPs) being competent to meet these challenges. Internationally, the response to calls to action to address HCPs’ learning needs in climate change and sustainability (CC&S) has been patchy. In Ireland, CC&S has been largely absent from undergraduate and postgraduate HCP curricula, and continuing professional development. Evidence on the competencies needed, how they are best acquired and the influence of contextual factors is lacking.
Aim and objectives
Our aim is to produce and implement actionable knowledge to allow HCPs, their educators, regulators and employers to address the learning needs currently limiting the capacity of health systems to respond to the challenge of climate change.
The first phase of the project will address these questions;
What are the competencies healthcare professionals need in CC&S?
How can CC&S be integrated into health professions’ education?
How can healthcare professionals create change within the health system in relation to CC&S?
First phase outputs will inform the second phase, further addressing these questions through co-design, implementation and evaluation of three inter-professional educational interventions in CC&S delivered in different settings and formats. Methodology
This is a mixed methods programme underpinned by Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT). It includes scoping review and realist review methodology, participatory co-design, mixed-methods consensus building, qualitative interview and focus group studies, mixed-methods survey and realist evaluation studies.
Impact
The proposed research will produce impact through an IKT plan that will ensure rapid translation of outputs within knowledge-user organisations. The project team will publish and present our findings internationally with an emphasis on transferability nationally and internationally.
