Going green: Environmental cost savings of teledermatology
Facts at your Fingertips
By Emily Margosian, Assistant Editor, June 1, 2023
Research shows that health care is a major global driver of climate change, accounting for 5% of a country’s total environmental footprint. As medicine continues to look for ways to reduce its environmental impact, a recent JAAD analysis suggests that post-COVID shifts toward digital care may have positive implications not only for the environment, but in terms of cost savings as well.
The study compared distance between patients’ homes and dermatology clinics for visits pre- and post-pandemic, converting distance into travel dollars and greenhouse gas emissions using standard rates. Its findings suggest that the expansion of teledermatology options for care can provide transportation cost benefits that correspond to substantial CO₂ emission reductions.
See the graphic below for a more detailed breakdown of the study’s analysis of the environmental and cost-savings of digital dermatologic care.
