Patients’ Attitudes Towards Sustainable Healthcare

A groundbreaking study published in Health Expectations titled “Patients’ Attitudes Towards Integrating Environmental Sustainability Into Healthcare Decision‐Making: An Interview Study” offers crucial insights into how patients view the integration of environmental sustainability into clinical care. This research highlights that patients are key stakeholders in the transition to more sustainable healthcare systems and are generally open to discussing the environmental impact of medical practices.

The study, which involved semistructured interviews with 14 gynaecological patients in the Netherlands, reveals five main themes:

• Patients see themselves as an integral part of the shift to sustainable healthcare, acknowledging the shared responsibility of individuals and the broader healthcare sector, including government, industries, and hospitals.
• There is a clear openness among patients to receive information on the environmental impact of healthcare. Participants expressed that such information could raise awareness and encourage environmental actions beyond the clinical setting.
• A key finding is that information on environmental impact should be tailored to the individual patient and context. Discussions are not appropriate in emergency settings, but are more suitable for chronic disease management or elective treatments where continuity of care allows for deeper conversations.
• Patients have diverse preferences for their involvement in decision-making related to environmental sustainability. While some want to be actively involved and compare options, others prefer decisions to be made at higher organizational levels by experts or guided by national guidelines.
• Crucially, the study confirms that patients prioritize their individual health over environmental concerns in healthcare decision-making. “Getting better” remains the primary goal of seeking healthcare, though some participants expressed a willingness to accept minor trade-offs (e.g., less comfort, more side-effects) for more sustainable care, especially when treatment effectiveness is comparable.

The research also uncovered a “perception gap,” where patients themselves often underestimate the receptiveness of other patients to environmental information, similar to how physicians may underestimate patient interest. This study helps to correct these misperceptions, affirming that patients generally view incorporating environmental considerations as acceptable and desirable within a patient-centered context.

These findings underscore the importance of integrating sustainability into clinical decision-making in a personalized and context-appropriate manner, which can foster greater support for sustainable practices and align with bioethical principles. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to consider how environmental information can be provided effectively, potentially enhancing patients’ positive perceptions of the care they receive.

Reference for the Article: Cohen, E. S., Kringos, D. S., Grandiek, F., Kouwenberg, L. H. J. A., Sperna Weiland, N. H., Richie, C., Hehenkamp, W. J. K., & Aarts, J. W. M. A. (2025). Patients’ attitudes towards integrating environmental sustainability into healthcare decision‐making: An interview study. Health Expectations, 28(1), e170155.