Rehabilitation medicine professionals’ views on climate change and health

Abstract

Climate change is already harming human health, both directly and indirectly. Physical and rehabilitation medicine professionals are at the frontlines of addressing climate change and health, as their patients are particularly vulnerable to these health harms. It is, therefore, important to understand how these health professionals understand the connection between climate and health and what resources they need to engage with the issue. We surveyed the members of 2 medical societies—the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine—to assess their climate beliefs and attitudes, understanding of climate change’s present and future health harms, the barriers they perceive to engagement with the issue, and the types of resources they would find helpful. We found that health professionals in the field of rehabilitation medicine understand that climate change impacts human health and think actions should be taken; however, they also perceive barriers to their own involvement in educating the public and policymakers about climate and health and believe there are more urgent health issues in the region where they practice. Our findings suggest that health professionals in the field of rehabilitation medicine are convinced of the realities of climate change and its relationship to their profession. Further, although many in this field do perceive other health issues to be more urgent in their regions of practice, there are opportunities to provide resources and support to those who are ready to engage directly with climate change and health.