Photo by: Pixabay user Elf-Moondance

Communicating Statistics on the Health Effects of Climate Change

07/16/2022 | New England Journal of Medicine

Health professionals need to communicate the health and equity implications of climate change swiftly and effectively to patients and the public to protect health and motivate action argues our Yerby Fellow and Climate MD lead, Dr. Renee Salas and Dr. Ellen Peters from the School of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon in a new perspective for the New England Journal of Medicine.

In “Communicating Statistics on the Health Effects of Climate Change,” Salas and Peters share communications principles for health professionals to guide discussions with patients and the public to increase understanding of climate and health issues, protect health today, and galvanize action toward an equitable transition away from fossil fuels.

“…clinicians have a powerful megaphone — and a profound responsibility — to effectively communicate health-related statistics. But the way they do so is important…” – Salas and Peters

The authors write that providing statistics from a trusted source, such as a health care professional, can help earn people’s trust and motivate them to engage in healthier behavior,

Health professionals should:

  • Start with choosing a communication goal — what the audience needs to understand.
  • Be transparent about uncertainty to help avert the undermining of trust when something unexpected occurs.
  • Provide context through using comparisons.
  • Include hyperlocal data, including stories about people affected by climate change to promote understanding of its relevance to people’s lives paired with data.
  • Provide solutions with a call to action.

Read in The New England Journal of Medicine. 

Federal investments in climate change and health research are inadequate says Harvard analysis

Critical knowledge gaps hinder an evidence-based response and are perpetuated by scarce federal research funds.

Read Now

Hundreds of Hospitals on Atlantic and Gulf Coasts at Risk of Flooding from Hurricanes

Our study is the first to systematically investigate flooding risk to nearly 700 U.S. hospitals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts from Category 1-4 storms.

Read Now

Communicating Statistics on the Health Effects of Climate Change

Health professionals need to communicate the health and equity implications of climate change effectively to protect health and motivate action.

Read Now

A Pediatrician’s Guide to Climate Change-Informed Primary Care

A practical approach for connecting climate change with health during pediatric well visits.

Read Now

The medical response to climate change

Our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein lays out five pillars for the medical response to climate change.

Read Now

Adding A Climate Lens To Health Policy In The United States

Our Yerby Fellow Dr. Renee Salas and Interim Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein outline specific recommendations for achieving climate action through health policy and decision making.

Read Now

'We Don't Have To Live This Way': Doctors Call For Climate Action

A sprawling analysis published by The Lancet focuses on public health data from 2019, and finds that heat waves, air pollution and extreme weather increasingly damage human health.

Read Now

Challenges and opportunities to sustainably scale up surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia care globally

Strategies for the surgical, obstetric, and anaesthesia community to sustainably scale up SOA care to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address health equity and social justice issues.

Read Now

A pathway to net zero emissions for healthcare

Dr. Renee Salas charts a path to net zero emissions for healthcare.

Read Now

The first residency curriculum to better prepare doctors for climate change

New framework can teach medical residents how climate changes affects health, clinical care, and health care delivery.

Read Now

Floods are a growing threat to New England hospitals – what do you do?

Ours is the first study to systematically investigate flood risk for nearly 700 hospitals from Category 1-4 storms as climate change worsens and sea levels rise.

Read Now

Hospitals in Coastal Cities Risk Flooding Even in ‘Weak’ Hurricanes, Study Finds

We looked at the flooding risk to nearly 700 hospitals on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts due to storms and sea level rise made worse by climate change.

Read Now

Shaken by heatwaves, U.S. clinics get tips on staying cool

Featuring our toolkit for protecting the most vulnerable patients from heatwaves, working in collaboration with Americares and sponsored by Biogen.

Read Now

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Study Identifies Hundreds of Hospitals on Atlantic and Gulf Coasts at Risk of Flooding from Hurricanes

Our study shows which hospitals are at risk of flooding from hurricanes today, and which will become at risk due to climate change.

Read Now

Partnering with your PCP to stay healthy in record heat

Our director Dr. Aaron Bernstein writes about a new initiative providing patient-centered toolkits to protect the vulnerable.

Read Now

Some medications may increase sensitivity to heat, sun

As the U.S. experiences more days of extreme heat, researchers caution that certain medications—such as antidepressants, antihistamines, high blood pressure drugs, and overactive-bladder treatments—can increase an individual’s likelihood of developing a heat-related illness.

Read Now

Can Medications Make You More Sensitive to Sun and Heat?

Our Climate and Health Fellow Dr. Kimberly Humphrey explains how people taking certain medications can protect themselves from the heat.

Read Now

‘Children Are Not Little Adults’ and Need Special Protection During Heat Waves

Our Director Dr. Aaron Bernstein is working to protect children from heat and advance health equity.

Read Now

A new toolkit makes health tips for heat waves more accessible

Our new toolkit for patients, providers and clinics provides guidance to prepare for or respond to weeks of prolonged heat.

Read Now

Patient-Centered Climate Action and Health Equity

The health care industry can make equitable patient-centered climate action a reality across the nation. Here's how.

Read Now

Dr. Renee Salas

Renee N. Salas MD, MPH, MS

Renee's work focuses on the intersection of the climate crisis, health, and healthcare delivery.

View Profile