Environmental Sustainability of Telemedicine

Abstract

In developed countries, the healthcare sector is committed to improving the provision of care, while at the same reduction costs. In the paper, the authors point to the connection of telemedicine and environmental sustainability. Many current practices of the health care system have a negative impact on the environment. Thus, the healthcare industry is the second largest consumer of energy among all industrial sectors. On the other hand, telemedicine, using information and communication technologies, reduces these impacts, ensuring that the healthcare industry better and more efficiently manages natural resources while reducing energy consumption and minimizing waste. Telemedicine and health information technology help save time, energy, raw materials (such as paper and plastic), and fuel material, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of the health industry. From these reasons, the application of telemedicine is an important ecological potential for a global ecosystem of planet Earth.