Incorporating Climate Change Education Into Residency: A Focus on Community Risks and Resources.

Abstract

Background: Graduate medical education (GME) focused on climate change (CC) health effects is essential. However, few CC education evaluations exist to guide residency programs looking to implement CC content.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of an education session on residents' self-reported knowledge of CC health effects and confidence utilizing local CC anticipatory guidance and community resources with patients.

Methods: A CC session was integrated into the pediatric, family medicine, and social medicine curricula at an urban academic medical center in 2023. A convenience sample of residents participated in 1 of 4 nonrandomized case-based or lecture-based sessions. Pre- and post-session 5-question Likert-scale surveys were used for assessment and analyzed using paired t tests.

Results: Sixty-eight of 108 eligible residents completed the surveys (28 case-based, 40 lecture-based, 63% response rate). Residents' understanding and confidence to engage with patients on CC health effects after the educational session improved (Q1 mean difference 1.3, t ₆₇=9.85, 95% CI 1.04-1.57, P<.001; Q2 1.5, t ₆₇=9.98, 95% CI 1.20-1.82, P<.001; Q3 1.8, t ₆₇=12.84, 95% QI 1.54-2.11, P<.001; Q4 2.1, t ₆₇=16.25, 95% CI 1.84-2.36, P<.001; Q5 2.1, t ₆₇=16.28, 95% CI 1.86-2.38, P<.001).

Conclusions: Resident self-reported understanding of the health effects of CC and confidence utilizing local CC anticipatory guidance and resources with patients increased after a CC education session.