Impact of a telemedicine program on the reduction in the emission of atmospheric pollutants and journeys by road

Vidal Alaball, Josep; Franch Parella, Jordi; López Seguí, Francesc, 1991-; Garcia Cuyàs, Francesc; Mendioroz, Jacobo

doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16224366

Impact of a telemedicine program on the reduction in the emission of atmospheric pollutants and journeys by road

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Vidal-Alaball J, Franch-Parella J, Lopez Seguí F, Garcia Cuyàs F, Mendioroz Peña J. Impact of a telemedicine program on the reduction in the emission of atmospheric pollutants and journeys by road. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019; 16(22):4366. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16224366

Abstract

This retrospective study evaluates the effect of a telemedicine program developed in the central Catalan region in lowering the environmental footprint by reducing the emission of atmospheric pollutants, thanks to a reduction in the number of hospital visits involving journeys by road. Between January 2018 and June 2019, a total of 12,322 referrals were made to telemedicine services in the primary care centers, avoiding a total of 9034 face-to-face visits. In total, the distance saved was 192,682 km, with a total travel time saving of 3779 h and a total fuel reduction of 11,754 L with an associated cost of €15,664. This represents an average reduction of 3248.3 g of carbon dioxide, 4.05 g of carbon monoxide, 4.86 g of nitric oxide and 3.2 g of sulphur dioxide. This study confirms that telemedicine reduces the environmental impact of atmospheric pollutants emitted by vehicles by reducing the number of journeys made for face-to-face visits, and thus contributing to environmental sustainability.