Virtual Learning Decreases the Carbon Footprint of Medical Education - PubMed (original) (raw)
Virtual Learning Decreases the Carbon Footprint of Medical Education
Divya Sharma et al. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2024 Apr.
Abstract
Introduction: The environmental impact of holding in-person academic conferences and continuing medical education (CME) programs can be significant. In-person conferences provide a unique social and professional platform to engage in networking and foster professional development; however, there is an opportunity for hybrid and virtual platforms to provide CME for broader audiences looking to improve their clinical skills and strengthen their knowledge base. This study seeks to describe the reduction in carbon emissions associated with a webinar hosted by an online dermatology-focused medical education platform.
Methods: This cross-sectional study used the location of deidentified virtual attendees of a webinar to predict the carbon emissions produced if attendees had instead traveled to the location of the most recent Integrative Dermatology Symposium (Sacramento, CA). Following collection of each virtual attendee's location, the mode of transportation was predicted on the basis of each participant's distance to the conference.
Results: The estimated carbon emissions were calculated for 576 participants. The total estimated, unadjusted carbon emissions for both attendees predicted to fly or drive was 370,100 kg CO2. The emissions produced per participant from those expected to fly to an in-person CME after adjusting for all additional passengers on every flight were 4.5 kg CO2. The emissions produced per participant from those expected to drive were 42.7 kg CO2.
Conclusion: The use of a virtual CME webinar led to a significant reduction in travel-related carbon dioxide emissions when compared to running the same program in-person event. When accounting for all passengers traveling via plane on any flight, driving to an event produced more emissions per participant than flying.
Keywords: Carbon dioxide emissions; Conference; Emissions; Greenhouse gas; In-person conferences; Travel; Virtual learning.
© 2024. The Author(s).
Conflict of interest statement
Dr. Divya Sharma, Julianne Rizzo, Yvonne Nong, Lilia C. Murase, Sydney Fong, and Kenny Lo have nothing to disclose. Dr. Jenny Murase has participated in advisory boards for Genzyme/Sanofi, Eli Lilly, AbbVie LeoPharma, and UCB, participated in disease statement management talks for Regeneron and UCB, and provided dermatologic consulting services for UpToDate. Dr. Raja Sivamani serves as a scientific advisor for LearnHealth, Codex Labs, and Arbonne and as a consultant to Burt’s Bees, Novozymes, Nutrafol, Novartis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Abbvie, Leo, Biogena, UCB, Incyte, Sanofi, Sun, and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Misha Rosenbach serves as a consultant for: AbbVie, Merck, J&J, Processa, Xentria, CSL Behring, and receives research support from Processa. Dr. Misha Rosenbach is the cochair of the AAD’s ERG on Climate Change; he is speaking on behalf of himself and not the academy.
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