‘Digital health is late to the party’: Can telehealth help hospitals curb their carbon footprints?

The health care sector, which accounts for nearly 9% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, is now beginning to act as the globe prepares to face the effects of climate change. Hospitals, in particular, are attempting to lessen their impact and have highlighted telemedicine as a key tactic by removing millions of miles of travel to and from medical facilities. However, despite the fact that digital health in various forms has a tremendous potential to reduce the emissions associated with healthcare, research into its effects is still in its infancy, and the metrics employed frequently fall short. Enrico Coiera, a researcher in digital health at Macquarie University, wrote an editorial for the Journal of the Medical Association that stated, "Digital health is late to the party."